The Bounty
by sol-li
Summary: After Kagome leaves for a few days, Inuyasha receives a note, telling him that she doesn't want to be with him any longer. But when he tries to find out what has caused her abrupt change of heart, Inuyasha uncovers something sinister...
1. The Bounty Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE  
  
.  
  
"She's late again!"  
  
A streak of red and white shot from the trees and landed on the ground. Without stopping, the half-demon sprang forward and began running as fast as he could in such crowded ground.  
  
It always annoyed Inuyasha when Kagome went back to her own time. Ever since they had first met, she had skittered back to her home for tests and classes and other things like that. Inuyasha didn't see the point -- from what he could tell, those tests had nothing to do with real life.  
  
At least she had stopped spending so much time there since they had found out about Naraku. She had hardly spent more than a few days back in her own time since Miroku had told them about Naraku. Well... except for that one time. Inuyasha winced as he remembered. It was when he and Kagome had had a particularly nasty fight about Koga, and she had gone back to her own time for awhile. Eventually, they had somehow patched up their differences.   
  
Although I still want to wring Koga's scrawny neck, Inuyasha thought. Not to mention turn him inside out and make him eat his own tail.   
  
Kagome was always taking these mysterious quizzes and tests. And she insisted that this latest test was really important, although Inuyasha still didn't understand why. "Why'd'ya need to learn a language for someplace you've never been?" he had demanded the morning she left.   
  
"Because I need to take a foreign language to graduate later," Kagome had retorted, shouldering her bookbag.   
  
"What for?"  
  
"I don't know," Kagome had said, frustrated.   
  
Inuyasha had scowled. "How come you're taking a language when you don't know why you're taking it?" he had demanded.  
  
"Now you're just confusing me!" she had said as she left.  
  
Inuyasha leapt onto a high tree bough and scanned the forest, for any sign of a girl in a short green and white dress. I wish she'd just leave that school, at least until Naraku's dead, he thought. Isn't that more important to her? It ain't like it'll hurt her to leave it. I can make sure nothing happens to her.  
  
Inuyasha stopped for a moment, and sniffed the air.   
  
Kagome's scent. She had been here some hours before. Not to the village, though -- he had been waiting on a rooftop for her all day. The scent wasn't fresh, which probably meant she had been and gone quite awhile ago.  
  
Inuyasha frowned. What the hell was she doing coming here and then leaving again? he thought.  
  
Finally he landed in the clearing where the Bone-Eater's Well crouched. It looked like a hundred other little wooden wells, ugly little things overgrown with weeds. It didn't have any water -- as far as anyone could remember, it never had. Yet it allowed Inuyasha and Kagome to travel through time.  
  
"She's late," Inuyasha repeated.  
  
Then he noticed the note. There was a little folded piece of paper wedged in one of the well frame's cracks. Frowning, Inuyasha unfolded the paper. Maybe Kagome left one of her school assignments behind? he thought. The handwriting was hers, although it was a bit blurred as if she had dashed it off in a hurry.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes widened as he looked at the note itself.  
  
.  
  
INUYASHA --  
I'm sorry I have to tell you this way. I don't want to be with you anymore, and I've decided to stay in my own time from now on. Good luck.   
KAGOME  
  
.  
  
For a moment, Inuyasha was too shocked to speak. He reread the note a few times, to make sure he wasn't imagining what it said. But it was true. And he recognized Kagome's writing... and smelled her scent on the paper. His shaking hand clenched into a fist, crushing the note inside his fingers.  
  
As he crumpled the paper, something small fell out of it and bounced against his foot. Inuyasha picked it up, and felt sick. It was the little jar of Shikon shards.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	2. The Bounty Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO  
  
.  
  
This isn't possible, Inuyasha thought dazedly. But it was slowly dawning on him that it was. Kagome... gone.   
  
Like a sleepwalker, he slowly turned and began walking in the direction of Kaede's village. He didn't know what he was going to say to the others when he got there. The idea of Kagome just suddenly leaving them... leaving HIM...  
  
And he didn't know what he was going to do from now on...  
  
.  
  
"So I suppose this is true," Miroku said quietly.  
  
Inuyasha flinched at the monk's voice. He had been crouching in the corner of Kaede's hut ever since returning from the well. He had come back slowly, with her note still crumpled in one hand, and the jar of shards clutched tightly in the other. He hadn't been able to read it out loud, so he thrust it at Miroku and said tightly, "Here. You read it to 'em."  
  
A stunned silence fell over the group. Kaede, Miroku, Sango and Shippo all stared at one another. Their expressions ranged from sadness to shock, disbelief and outright misery.  
  
Miroku carefully folded the note. "I see," he said heavily. "So... Kagome has decided to stay in her own time. For good."  
  
"But why?" Sango asked. Kirara, sitting on her mistress's knee, mewed plaintively and looked up at Miroku.  
  
"She didn't say," Miroku said quietly. "But I can only think of one possible reason for her sudden departure." He glanced over at the huddled, red-clad figure in the corner.  
  
Suddenly Shippo sprang up and started pounding his tiny fists against the back of Inuyasha's head. "You big stupid jerk!" he shouted shrilly. "This is all your fault! You made Kagome mad so she'd leave! If you weren't so interested in Kikyo, Kagome never would've gone away!"  
  
To the surprise of the others, Inuyasha didn't lash out at Shippo. Instead, he just hunched further over and stared dully out the door. He didn't even seem to notice the kitsune's enraged attacks. Miroku deftly pulled Shippo away, got him to let go of Inuyasha's long silver hair, and then gave him a small rag to dry his eyes with. "Shippo," he said quietly, "we don't know that for sure."  
  
Shippo blew his nose loudly. "But Kagome wouldn't leave unless she was mad at Inuyasha," he said faintly. "She almost left for good before, remember?"  
  
"I remember. But I doubt you can make Inuyasha feel any worse than he already does," Miroku said.  
  
The monk glanced over at the silent half-demon. "Inuyasha, was Kagome upset with you when she left?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Nothing?"  
  
"Nothin' worth remembering."  
  
"Well, if she wasn't mad, then why would she go?" Sango asked.  
  
Miroku pondered it for a moment. "Perhaps she's fallen in love with someone on the other side of the well," he said finally. "That might explain why she would want to spend all her time there."  
  
Inuyasha flinched again. He already felt as if someone had stuck a knife in his chest. Now Miroku was giving the blade a few sharp twists. "She wouldn't do that," he said thickly. "She... said..."  
  
He fell silent, and began to wonder. Kagome had told him that she wanted to stay near him no matter what. Why had she suddenly left them behind? Left HIM behind? Didn't he... matter at all to her anymore?  
  
Inuyasha slipped a hand into his clothing, and closed his fingers over the little jar of shards.  
  
Had he upset Kagome with his continued involvement with Kikyo? He had told her why he couldn't just leave his onetime love behind -- he owed her so much, for everything Kikyo had lost because of him. And even though Kagome had said she understood, it obviously ticked her off whenever he went to see Kikyo.   
  
Has she had enough? he thought suddenly. Has she decided that she doesn't want to be near me after all... because of all that? It was the doubt itself that was tearing him apart.  
  
"Inuyasha must've done something to make her mad," Shippo said sulkily.   
  
"That is the only thing I can think of," Miroku said solemnly, folding his arms. "And Inuyasha, if Kagome returned the shards to you... that means that her mind is made up. Irrevocably."  
  
Inuyasha could feel a tight, hot pain forming in his chest. No, he thought, gripping the little bottle. This can't be all there is... this can't be... Kagome... why did you leave me? If I only understood why...  
  
He heard a rustling as old Kaede rose from the fireplace. The old woman sat down beside him, and said in a low voice, "Inuyasha, I know that ye are more upset than ye will let on."  
  
Inuyasha didn't react to her at all. But he was listening.  
  
"Kagome is not a flighty girl, and she does not make decisions like this lightly. If she has made the choice to remain in her own time, then she has made it after much thought." Kaede paused, her one eye narrowed in thought. "But that does not explain why."  
  
She looked at the young half-demon's expressionless face. "Inuyasha, ye will be tormented by the question of why she has left, until ye go and see her. If only for a short time." Her lined face seemed to droop. "And then, when ye have your answer, presumably ye will know what to say then. And whether it would be better for Kagome to leave her where she is."  
  
Shippo sniffled again.   
  
Inuyasha shoved the jar back into his clothes. "Enough bawling," he said roughly, getting to his feet. "If Kagome doesn't want to be with us anymore, then she doesn't have to. I'm not forcing her. We're leaving in the morning, without her."  
  
He stormed out of Kaede's house.  
  
Shippo looked as if he were going to explode with rage. But Miroku put a hand on his small shoulder. "That means," the monk said quietly, "that Inuyasha is going through the well tonight..."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	3. The Bounty Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE  
  
.  
  
The sun was setting when Inuyasha finally came to the well. He peered inside, then glanced from side to side, to make sure nobody was watching him leave. He hated having anyone know when he was going to see Kagome... especially if they were having a disagreement. And having Miroku and Shippo blame him for everything didn't help.  
  
With a grunt, he leaped in.   
  
As the well let him fall through time and space, Inuyasha steeled himself for what was ahead. Kagome had only gotten angry or unhappy enough to even contemplate leaving for good a few times... and if she had returned the jewel shards, it meant that she wanted to make an end of it all. And she meant it.  
  
He was dreading their confrontation. He remembered the day when she had confessed that she wanted to be near him no matter what. What had changed? Did she hate him for promising to stick by Kikyo? Or had she... well, not really meant it? Inuyasha didn't want to admit it, but the speculation had struck a nerve. He hadn't told the others what Kagome had said to him... especially since he didn't know if he would ever see her after today.  
  
Had she fallen in love with somebody on her side of the well? The thought made Inuyasha feel ill. But he forced himself not to think of that. It ain't like we were ever... ever really together, he thought.   
  
He crept out of the well and out into the courtyard. Nobody was around. He hopped up to Kagome's window and slid it open, looking over the room with its homework-strewn desk, and bright pink bed. "Kagome?" he said softly. But there was nobody there.  
  
Inuyasha jumped inside and sniffed the air. Her scent is all over the place, he thought. He swallowed hard. "Kagome?" he called again, venturing out into the hallway.  
  
He went to Kagome's grandfather's room, which was right down the hall from Kagome's. It smelled strongly of incense and dust -- much like the old man himself -- and more of the smell rolled out when he poked open the door. "Anybody home?" he called.  
  
The little boy Sota's room was also empty, except for dozens of toys strewn on the floor. Inuyasha bit his lip, wondering where they all were. Usually they're hanging around, but today.... he thought. Does it have anything to do with Kagome leaving? They couldn't have moved away... their furniture is still all here. And it all smells like them.  
  
Then his ears twitched.   
  
The door was opening just as he came down the stairs. It was Kagome's mother, holding four or five paper bags in her arms. A couple more were at her feet. "Oh, it's Inuyasha," she said brightly. "How nice to see you. Could you help me with these groceries?"  
  
Inuyasha scooped five of the bags up. Can't hurt to have her mom on my side right now, he thought.  
  
"Thank you so much!" Mrs. Higurashi said as he dumped the bags on her kitchen table. "I wasn't sure how I was going to manage all those."  
  
Inuyasha cleared his throat. "Um... where is everyone?"  
  
"Grandpa is at a retreat in the mountains." Mrs. Higurashi started pulling cans and boxes out of the bags. "And Sota is at a weekend summer camp. So I have some time to myself for a change to get things done." She paused. "And why are you here? Is there something wrong?"  
  
"Sorta," Inuyasha muttered. "I-I wanna speak with Kagome."  
  
"With Kagome?"  
  
"Yeah." Inuyasha swallowed hard. The sooner I do this... the sooner I'll know why it is she's gone... and whether it was my fault, he thought. "It's... it's kind of important. I need to ask her something."  
  
"Well, why are you here then?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, puzzled. "Kagome went back through the well three days ago."  
  
It took a moment for the news to sink in. "What?" Inuyasha said dazedly.   
  
"Yes. Her test was cancelled and so she decided to go back early."  
  
"So... she isn't here? She didn't come back here?"  
  
"No. Why? Is something wrong?"  
  
Inuyasha felt as if something was exploding inside his head. "I-I gotta go right now!" he said. Without further explanation, he turned and raced out the open door, across the courtyard, and into the wellhouse. He paused for a moment, slipping his hand into his clothing. Kagome's crumpled note and bottle of jewel shards were there -- and now he knew that something had gone horribly wrong...  
  
I don't know what's happening, he thought angrily, diving into the well. But I'm gonna get to the bottom of it!  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	4. The Bounty Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR  
  
.  
  
Inuyasha gritted his teeth as the well swept him back through time and space. For a moment, he was torn between delight that Kagome hadn't dropped him, and rage that something had happened to her, and he hadn't known in time to stop it.   
  
Kagome didn't leave, he thought. She was coming back to me -- to all of us. And something happened to her when she went through the well. She never went back to her own time -- her mother would have known. And I can't imagine her going anywhere by herself in my time... she never would. It's too dangerous, and she knows it!  
  
He slipped a hand into his clothing, and touched the note he had found. It was Kagome's handwriting. It had her scent. But it's not right, he thought. Kagome wouldn't lie to me, but she didn't do what the note said. Damn, I'm confused -- I don't know. But I'm going to find out where she is, and who the hell took her away!  
  
He erupted from the other side of the well and ran without even slowing down. Suddenly he stopped, and sniffed the air. "Nothing," he muttered. "It's been three days. Most of the scents are gone... or covered up..."  
  
He took a deep breath and began running again.  
  
.  
  
Miroku heard Inuyasha coming long before the half-demon actually arrived. He glanced out Kaede's door, and saw a streak of red shooting out of the woods. "He's coming," the monk said.  
  
"Fast, too," Sango said. The demon-slayer had been sitting silently in a corner, pondering the sudden departure of her friend. Miroku had expected her to be upset, but instead Sango seemed... puzzled.  
  
There was a sudden rush of air, and Inuyasha leaped in the door, looking wild and disheveled. "She's gone," he panted.  
  
"We KNOW she's gone, dummy," Shippo snuffled from the depths of a blanket in Kaede's lap.   
  
"No, you don't get it," Inuyasha said breathlessly. "She's gone. She never wrote that note."  
  
"What?" Kaede asked, startled.  
  
Miroku stood up and faced the young half demon. "Start at the beginning, Inuyasha. What happened when you travelled to Kagome's era?"  
  
"I met her mother," Inuyasha said slowly. "I asked her if I could talk to Kagome, and she said that Kagome's tests were cancelled, and she left for this era three days ago -- she never went back to her own time, but she didn't show up here either."  
  
"You said that she didn't write the note," Miroku said. "Yet you also said it was her handwriting."  
  
Inuyasha pulled the crumpled paper out of his clothing. "I don't get it either," he mumbled. "But it wasn't Kagome's words -- I'll stake my life on it. She wouldn't lie like this."  
  
"I thought there was something wrong," Sango said suddenly.  
  
"You did?" Inuyasha asked, startled.  
  
Sango stared out the window. "It didn't seem like Kagome to say goodbye through a note. That isn't the sort of thing she would normally do. And she's not so careless as to leave the jewel shards out in the open, where anyone could find them."  
  
Inuyasha felt himself flush a little. She's right. Dammit, I should have known, he thought. I should have realized that for myself... though I was too upset to really think about it...  
  
"Y-y'mean, she didn't leave?" Shippo asked. He poked his tearful face out of the blanket.   
  
"She didn't leave," Miroku said quietly. "But she is gone. And that may be much worse -- if she had just departed, we might have a chance of changing her mind. But if she was kidnapped..." He turned to Inuyasha. "Did you sense anything where she vanished?"  
  
"It was three days ago," Inuyasha said in a low voice. "Most scents vanish by that time. Kagome was the only thing I could smell -- and that's just because her scent clung to the paper."  
  
"I see," Kaede said gravely.  
  
Inuyasha folded the paper into a tiny triangle, and stuck it back in his clothing. The little bottle of jewel shards was bumping against his chest, reminding him of the most sinister part of the whole thing. If the kidnapper had taken Kagome, but deliberately left the jewel shards, that meant that she -- and not the jewel -- was what they wanted.   
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	5. The Bounty Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE  
  
.  
  
"Anything yet?" Miroku asked.  
  
"I told ya, I don't smell anything yet," Inuyasha said. He pressed his face close to the ground, sniffing at the ground for the smell of any human or demon. But there was nothing, except a few breath mints that Kagome had probably dropped before she... vanished. Frustrated, Inuyasha brushed them away.   
  
Miroku knelt down and began combing his fingers through the grass. "Do you smell any demons at all? The creature in question might have returned later on."  
  
"I don't smell anything except a few squirrels," Inuyasha said grimly. "Demons don't like to come too close to the well."  
  
Sango had been searching the grass on the other side of the well. She sat up. "Could it have been a human who kidnapped her?"  
  
"Maybe, but I doubt it," Inuyasha said grimly. "All Kagome would need to do to get away from a human is jump down the well. But a demon is fast enough that she wouldn't have time to escape." He grimaced, and crept along on his stomach.   
  
The one thing he was half-dreading was catching a whiff of Naraku's scent. If Naraku had Kagome -- if he DID anything to Kagome -- Inuyasha would find him and turn him inside out. But what he feared was that whatever he did would be too late. Naraku's afraid of Kagome, he thought grimly. Aside from Kikyo, she's the only one who can purify Naraku and kill him...  
  
Growling, he started sniffing again. And then his hand caught on something.  
  
"What the hell?" Something clinked as Inuyasha pulled his fingers free. He scrabbled around for it again, and caught a thin chain on his claws. It was made out of iron, and a heavy amulet or pendant was hanging from it. He wrinkled his nose. Smells like a damn forge, he thought.  
  
"What's that?" Sango asked. "Did you find something of Kagome's?"  
  
"No, I didn't. I don't know what the hell it is," Inuyasha said, holding up the necklace. "Some sorta jewelry."  
  
"Let me see." Miroku held out his hand. After Inuyasha gave the pendant to him, he studied it with a frown. "You're sure this isn't Kagome's?"  
  
"It doesn't have her scent," Inuyasha said. "Besides, I would've noticed an ugly thing like that on her."  
  
Miroku closed his eyes and held his hand over the pendant. "I'm not sensing any spiritual power from it. So it isn't an amulet or a protective charm." He studied the lumpy pendant carefully. "It has some sort of symbol on it -- it looks like a bird."  
  
"What kind?" Sango asked.  
  
"A hawk, I think -- it's too small for me to see clearly."  
  
Miroku handed the necklace back to Inuyasha. "Do you think this is a clue to lead us into a trap?" he asked gravely.  
  
"I don't think so," Inuyasha said. "It isn't a very obvious clue, anyway. Besides," he held up the chain, and pointed at a broken link, "it looks like Kagome put up a fight when the guy tried to carry her off. He must've dropped it and not known."  
  
"You said it didn't smell like Kagome," Sango said. "Does it smell like anything else?"  
  
Inuyasha sniffed it, and wrinkled his nose. "Just like iron. I could get the same thing by sniffing a sword." He wadded the chain up and stuck it inside his robes. "Let's go. Maybe the old woman will know what to make of this, cause I sure don't. And if we don't find some real clue to Kagome's location soon, I'm going after her on my own. Clues or no clues!"  
  
He stalked off into the woods.  
  
"Do you think he means it?" Sango asked quietly.   
  
"Certainly," Miroku said just as quietly. He stood and brushed himself off. "But it certainly doesn't seem like a good idea, if we don't know who we're up against. However... I have a fair idea of who Inuyasha thinks is responsible."  
  
"Naraku," Sango said, finishing Miroku's thought.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	6. The Bounty Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX  
  
.  
  
The first thing that Kagome fell when she woke up was a splitting headache. Her stomach was churning, and her eyes felt as if they had sand in them. "Uggghhh," she groaned, pushing herself onto her hands and knees. "Ohhh, my head... I-Inuyasha, what-"  
  
Then she froze.  
  
Inuyasha wasn't there. Neither were any of the others...  
  
Oh no, Kagome thought, looking around. Where am I? How did I get here? What happened to me?  
  
She was in a cell of some kind, about the size of a handicapped bathroom stall. The walls were made of solid stone, dirty gray and cracked and crumbled at the edges. A heavy metal door took up most of the far wall, surrounded by heavy steel bars like a cage. Behind her, a small window let in gusts of cold air.  
  
Kagome stuck her head out the window, and immediately felt dizzy. Now she knew why there weren't any bars on the windows -- it was a sheep drop down a cliffside, with a violent, rapid-filled river at the bottom. Even if she survived the fall, she would be smashed to bits on the rocks.  
  
Kagome sat up on the wobbly wooden bench. "Oh man," she whispered. "How did this happen?"  
  
I remember, she thought, my tests were cancelled for the next few weeks, because there was a flu bug that was making the teachers and half the students sick. I got some more first aid supplies, and went through the well. I was thinking about how pleased Inuyasha would be that we could leave right away...  
  
Her heart began to beat faster. And then... something happened. I heard someone coming from the woods, but I thought Inuyasha was just coming for me. Then I felt a little pain on the back of my neck, like a bee had stung me. Then... everything is a blur.   
  
Kagome pressed her hands to her face. How did I get into this mess? she thought. "Inuyasha.... where are you?" she whispered.  
  
.  
  
Inuyasha blinked, and glanced around Kaede's dusty old hut. Damn, my mind is playing tricks on me, he thought. I could have sworn I heard Kagome's voice there for a minute.  
  
He pulled her backpack open again. Inside were a tangle of things from her own era that she said were essential, like her toothbrush, textbooks, shampoo, and various other things that Inuyasha was only vaguely familiar with. "Most of it's useless anyway," he said darkly. "No reason to bring the stuff along."  
  
He paused for a moment.  
  
Then he pulled out a tangle of Kagome's things and stared at them hollowly. "I should've known she was coming back," he said softly. "She left all her stuff here."  
  
"Inuyasha?" Miroku stepped inside. "What are you doing?"  
  
Inuyasha didn't reply.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Miroku came closer, and peered over Inuyasha's head. The half-demon was holding the jar of Shikon shards in one hand, and clutching at Kagome's backpack with the other. "Inuyasha, we're about to leave."  
  
"Yeah, okay." Inuyasha hurriedly stuffed the jar into the backpack. Then he slung it over his shoulder.  
  
"You're bringing that?" the monk asked dubiously.  
  
"Course I am. Kagome's gonna need it when we find her."  
  
Inuyasha strode out, with Miroku behind him. Kaede and Sango were talking quietly at the end of the road. "I have not seen any emblem like this," Kaede was saying gravely, looking at the heavy pendant. "Certainly, unlike the spider scar, it does not seem to lead to Naraku directly. Yet I would search for one who might know its meaning before attempting anything more. It may lead to Kagome."  
  
"Thank you, Lady Kaede," Miroku said. He handed the necklace to Inuyasha.  
  
A few minutes later, Kirara bounded down the road with Miroku and Sango on her back. Inuyasha ran just ahead, with Shippo poking his head out of the overstuffed backpack.   
  
"Be safe," Kaede called after them. "And I wish ye luck in finding Kagome!"  
  
"We'll find her," Inuyasha said grimly. I just hope she's safe, he added silently. And if she's not, someone is going to pay dearly.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	7. The Bounty Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN  
  
.  
  
Inuyasha leaped over the river, his feet lightly touching the stones in the shallow water before he ran on. Dammit, he thought, my legs hurt! But I'm not stopping. Kagome has to come first!  
  
"Inuyasha, wait up!" Miroku called from some distance behind him.  
  
Reluctantly, Inuyasha did so. He skidded to a stop on the dusty road, and waited for the others to catch up. "Are you guys TRYING to slow me down?" he shouted over his shoulder.  
  
Kirara bounded down beside him, making a loud sound in her throat that sounded a little like a purry growl. "Of course not," Miroku said, irritated. "But Inuyasha, we need to approach this intelligently. We can't simply run off in a random direction and trust that we'll find Kagome eventually."  
  
Inuyasha hated it when Miroku was right. "Well, dammit, what do YOU think we should do right now? I'm not gonna just sit here on my butt when Kagome's in danger!" he snarled.  
  
"I know that," Miroku said with maddening calm. "But first we should find someone to ask about that pendant. I've never seen one like it, and unless I'm mistaken, it's quite unusual."  
  
"Well who should we ask, then?" Inuyasha snapped. "You know any experts in jewelry?"  
  
Miroku glanced to Sango. "I'm not sure, exactly. But you're simply dashing off into the woods. Inuyasha, when we encounter someone who might be able to help us-"  
  
"Be sure to let me know!" Inuyasha spun and began running again. Shippo was bumping around inside Kagome's backpack, letting out the occasional yelp of, "Ow! Be careful!" The little kitsune hadn't really said much since they left Kaede's village, but Inuyasha was fine with that. He was still sore over Shippo's accusations before.  
  
Of course, I thought it WAS my fault then, he thought. But the little runt took it too far -- and he could've at least apologized!  
  
He leaped over a mossy log and down a rocky embankment. He felt oddly reassured by the feel of Kagome's backpack on his shoulders. It was a bit awkward, banging into him every time he landed. But its weight and familiar scent reminded him of her. Dammit, he thought, it doesn't even feel natural to run like this, unless she's with me.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Shippo piped up.  
  
"Yeh? What?" Inuyasha said gruffly.   
  
"I'm sorry," Shippo mumbled. "It's just that after Kagome left before, I was sure she'd gotten mad and decided to leave us for good."  
  
"Well, she didn't," Inuyasha snapped.  
  
"I'm trying to apologize, you big goon!"  
  
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?"  
  
"It's nice to know that Inuyasha isn't quite so depressed," Miroku sighed wearily, leaning against Sango. "He feels up enough to bicker."  
  
.  
  
"Is anyone out there?" Kagome wailed. "Hello?"  
  
Her voice echoed eerily through the canyon below her. "Inuyasha!" Kagome called again, sticking her head out the open window. Her voice cracked and slowly died away. "Inuyasha," she whispered.  
  
She sank down on the bench and tried to think. My throat hurts, she thought. I wish I had some water... is this person trying to starve me? What does he WANT with me, anyway? He's already got my Shikon shards...  
  
Kagome coughed softly. Then she got up to the window and took a deep breath, preparing to start yelling again.  
  
"You might as well stop shouting," a deep voice suddenly said. "No one can hear you. And nobody is going to come."  
  
Kagome almost fell off the bench. "Who is it?" she shouted at the darkness outside her cell. She grabbed the bars and tried to rattle them. "Who's out there! Let me go, or you'll be sorry! Inuyasha's coming for me!"  
  
But there was no response.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	8. The Bounty Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT  
  
.  
  
A cold wind was keening outside the window. A man rose from his mat on the floor, and firmly shut the screen.   
  
At first glance, he looked like a handsome young man of about twenty-five. His strong features and shaggy dark hair were half-hidden by a hood edged with kitsune fur. His dark eyes were what marred his appearance. They were cold and still, the eyes of a man five times his age, who had lived through far more suffering.   
  
"Somebody please help! Where are you, you jerk! I know you're listening to everything I say, so come and tell me to my face! INUYASHA, HELP!"  
  
That girl had been screaming for almost three hours now. Not that it mattered. Naku had chosen this spot for his home simply because he wanted to be alone, undisturbed by other humans, so he could do his work in peace. The only demons in the area knew better than he disturb him.  
  
She had spirit, he had to admit that much. But guts wouldn't get her out of her present predicament.   
  
"Someone help! HELP ME! INUYASHA!"  
  
Naku stood up and looked over the assortment of jagged blades on his table. Carved from the bones of demons he had slain, and edged with their teeth. Nice sharp weaponry -- and they could kill demons as well as humans. His well-worn sword lay beside them. Not bad, he thought. But when Inuyasha comes, I'll need something a little stronger. He may be half human, but he sounds pretty tough.   
  
He smirked. He's probably figured out by now that Kagome didn't actually leave him. Not by her own will, that is. But I have plenty of time left -- the fool doesn't know where to even start finding me.  
  
He had been told where he could find Kagome, the girl who was somehow able to see Shikon shards. Apparently she sometimes left Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku, and vanished for a few days at a time. It was child's play to kidnap her then.  
  
He had seen her first at that rotten old dry well in the middle of a forest. Exactly how she came out of an empty well wasn't clear to Naku -- but then again, he didn't care. It wasn't his job to be curious. He had waited in the bushes until Kagome was out of the well, and standing on her own feet.   
  
Then he had thrown the tiny poisoned dart, striking the back of her neck. The venom had worked immediately -- the girl dropped to the ground, half-conscious and unable to resist him when he came for her. He had walked over, seeing Kagome's blank eyes and face, and ordered her to write a note to Inuyasha. She had done so, her mind and will fogged by the drugs. Then he had torn the Shikon shards out of her pocket, wrapped them in the note, and left it for the half-demon to find.  
  
Naku smiled slightly. Shikon jewel shards. Funny little things. While all demons and most humans would sell their wretched, blackened souls for a shard, he cared little for them. If he got the chance, he would take one -- but he wasn't going to go looking for them or anything.  
  
Then he had picked Kagome up and carried her back to the horse he had stolen. She'd stayed in her drugged stupor all through the ride back to his hidden home; he had given her a few more doses, just in case. Then he had dumped her in a cell, locked it, and waited for her to wake up.  
  
"INUYASHA! Someone get me out of here!"  
  
She's a pretty little thing, he thought, flipping a blade over in his hands. I might've had some fun with her, if I hadn't been told to make sure she didn't have the slightest chance of escaping. Ah well...  
  
Well, that half-demon boy -- Inuyasha was his name -- would probably be tearing up the countryside looking for her. He apparently wasn't Kagome's lover, although he sure acted like it. If Naku was unlucky, the dog-boy wouldn't figure out what had happened, and just creep into a cave somewhere and lick his wounds.  
  
"Not that it changes what'll happen," Naku said quietly. "I'll get him sooner or later, either way. It's just easier if he comes to me."  
  
After all, that was his mission. It was what he was being paid for.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	9. The Bounty Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE  
  
.  
  
"Why the hell are we sitting here?" Inuyasha shouted. "We should be moving! We should be going some damn place!"  
  
Miroku stifled the urge to sigh. Inuyasha might say he understood, but he never did. Getting him to change his mind was not unlike trying to hammer a pin through a stone wall. The monk chose to ignore the half-demon's bellows, and focused on the large, austere monastary in front of them. A rather weatherworn statue of Buddha was sitting outside, with his hand raised in blessing to anyone who went through the gates.  
  
"You think we might find some clues here?" Sango asked.  
  
"It can't hurt to ask," Miroku said solemnly. "Many travellers come by monastaries if they are travelling overnight. It can't hurt to make inquiries -- and someone might know the meaning of this necklace." He glanced back at Inuyasha. "Is that all right with you, Inuyasha?" he asked rather sarcastically.   
  
"I guess," Inuyasha mumbled.  
  
"Hand over the necklace."  
  
"How come?"   
  
"Because if you make the inquiries, we won't get anywhere. Besides, they're Buddhist monks, and so am I. They're more likely to tell me what they know, rather than a strange half-demon."  
  
Inuyasha reluctantly handed over the necklace. Then Miroku walked into the gates, and came across a younger monk -- barely more than a boy. He was raking the courtyard and humming softly. "Can I help you?" he asked as Miroku came toward him.  
  
"I certainly hope so." Miroku glance around. "Tell me, do you always work in this courtyard?"  
  
"Most days. Sometimes I sweep out the rooms where travellers stay."  
  
"Which means," Miroku said, "that you more or less see everyone who comes into the monastary to stay here, is that correct?"  
  
"Yes, I do." The young monk smiled proudly.   
  
"Then," Miroku said, pulling out the necklace, "can you tell me if you have seen anyone come by wearing this necklace?"  
  
The monk stared at it and shook his head. "No, it doesn't look familiar."  
  
"How about a pair of travellers? One would be a girl, about fifteen years old, about this tall," Miroku said, holding up his hand. "Slender, long black hair, large eyes, and wearing a strange short little robe in green and white. They would have come by the monastary less than three days ago." When the young monk screwed up his face in thought, Miroku added, "Think carefully. This girl's life may depend upon your answer."  
  
"I'm sorry," the boy said. "I haven't seen any such girl in the past week. And I can remember every traveller, partly because there haven't been many."  
  
Miroku's face fell. "I see. Thank you for your help. I shall keep looking."  
  
As he turned around, the young monk said, "You also might try the manorhouse a few miles from here. Most of the people who pass by here are going to that place."   
  
"Thank you," Miroku said.  
  
But he didn't feel much confidence when he returned to the others. Inuyasha was stalking up and down the road, kicking up a cloud of dust. Shippo was perched on Sango's shoulder. "Any luck?" the demon-slayer asked.  
  
"None," Miroku said heavily. "No girl who matches Kagome's description has been by here."  
  
"I knew it," Inuyasha muttered.  
  
.  
  
But after spending some time convincing Inuyasha, Miroku managed to get the group going toward the manorhouse. Their group was unbalanced and splintered without Kagome, and Miroku privately wished that she were there to calm Inuyasha down. He wouldn't do it for anyone else.  
  
Inuyasha felt as if steam was building up inside his head. Dammit, he thought angrily, I want to go find Kagome! I don't care if we don't know where she is -- if I don't go look, I can't find her. Or even catch up to the filthy bastard who took her away!  
  
Still growling, the half-demon slowly followed Miroku into the courtyard of a sprawling, lavish manorhouse. I hate these places, he thought. The people in them are usually bastards.  
  
"Pardon me," Miroku said calmly to a gardener nearby. "I wish to speak with the lord of this manor."  
  
"You've found him," a nasal voice said. A tall man with dark, ornate robes stepped out of a nearby doorway, watching them with narrowed eyes. "A Buddhist monk... and other companions," he observed, eyeing each one of them. "What do you wish to speak to me of? And if it's about the monastary, I have already made sizable donations to it."  
  
"No no," Miroku said. "I'm not from that monastary. I travel across the land.... and right now I am searching for the whereabouts of a young girl who has been kidnapped. This is the only clue to who took her." He pulled out the necklace and held it up so the lord could see it.  
  
In a flash, the man's face went pale, and he clutched at the door frame behind him. Inuyasha stiffened, almost able to smell the fear rolling off of him. "W-what..." the lord whispered.  
  
"I was wondering if you had seen it before," Miroku began.   
  
"GET OUT!" the lord suddenly erupted. "All of you leave now! How dare you bring that here! If you come here again, I will have you all whipped within an inch of your lives! Get out, and speak of this to no one!"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	10. The Bounty Chapter Ten

CHAPTER TEN  
  
.  
  
"You heard me! Now be gone!" the lord bellowed. Then he slammed the door shut, rattling the entire wall.  
  
Inuyasha was too shocked to speak for a moment. Then he smirked. Damn lord's got a secret, I can tell, he thought. His sharp claws cracked loudly as he prepared to leap forward, rip down that door, and make that fool tell him just what he knew.  
  
"We'd better go," Miroku muttered.  
  
"WHAT?" Inuyasha erupted. "You saw him-"  
  
"I said," Miroku repeated more loudly. "We should go."  
  
Inuyasha was shaking as he followed Miroku and Sango out of the manorhouse's gates. He wanted to turn back and break something, hurt something that stood between him and Kagome. What the hell is wrong with Miroku? he thought angrily. It's like he doesn't even wanna find Kagome! Why isn't he going back?  
  
The monk stopped when they were still within sight of the manorhouse, and sat down under a tree. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Inuyasha snarled. "It's obvious that guy is lying."  
  
"I noticed that too," Miroku said serenely. "But it won't help to just fly in his face. The man is obviously terrified of something, and if we pushed him right then, all he would do is call his warriors on us. People would get hurt, and he could probably escape during the conflict."  
  
Inuyasha ground his teeth. "So whaddaya think we should do?"  
  
"Wait until dark," Miroku said quietly. "Then, take the lord from his castle, and have a talk with him."  
  
"You want to kidnap him?" Sango asked.  
  
"Not strictly speking," Miroku said, stroking his chin. "Think of it as an unexpected visit with us. And then I'm reasonably sure I can get the information out of him."  
  
"I can just break his fingers until he talks," Inuyasha said darkly.   
  
"We'll save that until there are no alternatives," Miroku said.  
  
Then the monk sat up straighter, looking back at the manorhouse. A small, bent figure was hobbling toward them, clutching a reed broom in one hand. It was the wizened gardener that Miroku had first spoken to, and he was definitely coming toward them. "Unless I'm mistaken," Miroku murmured, "that man may be able to help us."  
  
As the gardener came toward them, he thrust out a gnarled hand. "Let me see that necklace," he said.  
  
Miroku pulled it out and let him see it.  
  
The old gardener studied it for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, this is the one," he said. "Definitely the one. Oh yes, very distinctive." He dropped it in Miroku's lap.  
  
"Whose is it?" Inuyasha snapped. "If you know something, you old fart, then tell us now!"  
  
Miroku added with all the charm he could muster, "It is quite important. So if you could tell us who the necklace belongs to, and where we could find them..."  
  
"Hmmm," the old gardener said. He started tapping his balding head. "Dear me, who it is.... and where.... oh, my head. My memory isn't so good. Sometimes my head hurts, and I can barely recall anything. Perhaps you can help me, young monk..."  
  
Miroku sighed heavily, and pulled a few strings of coppers out of his robe. "Perhaps this will help your head," he said.  
  
The old man snatched them away with bright eyes. "Yes, I've seen this hawk pendant on a man who came to see the lord awhile back. He sneaked in the back so nobody could see him, but servants see a lot more than the lord thinks we do."  
  
"Who is it?" Miroku asked again.  
  
"His name's Naku. A little older than you are, all dressed in black robes, with a cloak edged with fox fur."  
  
Shippo made an odd hiccuping noise and hid behind Sango.  
  
The old man continued, "He didn't talk to anyone, but I heard it from one of the maids, who was cleaning the halls when he was talking to the lord. He left with some silver bars clanking in his pocket, and a few days later the lord's worst enemy was dead. Naku never showed up around here anymore after that."  
  
A horrible suspicion was unfolding in Inuyasha's mind.  
  
"Meaning he's a killer for hire," the old man confirmed. "See that hawk? A hunter that's hard to catch, that one -- just like Naku. He'll work for anybody, if they pay him enough. Worst of all, he's supposed to be more skilled than any other assasin. Apparently he takes jobs killing demons as well as humans. Not like them demon-slayers -- they kill dumb beasts mostly. This lad kills them that walk on two feet, like that one there." He jabbed a finger at Inuyasha.   
  
A cold silence fell over the clearing. "I see," Miroku said faintly, at last. "Can you tell us how to find him?"  
  
"Sadly I can't," the gardener said. "See, he don't let anyone know unless they can afford him. And I haven't two coppers to scrape together." He grinned. "Well, until just now, I didn't. But still, his price is more'n I've made in my whole life. I could sell my daughters and still not have enough!"  
  
"I see," Miroku repeated. "Well, you have helped us immeasurably, sir." He bowed slightly.  
  
As the old gardener hobbled back, humming to himself, Inuyasha leaned against a tree. All the fire and rage had drained out of him, with that shock. Then it all flooded back. "Dammit," he whispered. "A hired killer has Kagome... but I won't let her be there a minute more!"  
  
He wouldn't even contemplate what might have happened to her, in the hands of a ruthless murderer like Naku. With a growl, Inuyasha began running down the road.   
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	11. The Bounty Chapter Eleven

CHAPTER ELEVEN  
  
.  
  
Kagome rocked back and forth on her bench, staring out the tiny window. I gotta at least try, she thought.   
  
She stuck her head out the window, and tried not to look down at the dizzying fall under her. Then she started wriggling through the narrow stone hole -- and stuck. What the... she thought, wriggling harder. I can't get both my shoulders out! Oh great... now I can see why he didn't put bars on the window.  
  
Sucking in her stomach, Kagome pushed backwards on the wall, trying to dislodge herself. A moment later she was falling flat on the cold stone floor, landing with an undignified thump. "Ow..." she muttered, rubbing her head. "So much for that idea..."  
  
Disheartened, Kagome crept to the bars keeping her confined, and started shaking them. None of them jiggled at all. Biting her lips, Kagome jiggled them harder, and tried to twist them so they'd loosen. All she got was sore fingers.  
  
"You might as well not bother," the voice from before said. "Far cleverer and stronger people have tried to escape from that cell. None of them did."  
  
A man stepped out of the shadows, staring at Kagome. He looked more or less like an ordinary young man -- good-looking in a chiseled way, with wild, cold eyes like a captured beast. He was staring right at her. "You might as well not shout either," he added. "You'll only wear out your voice and annoy me as you do it. There isn't another person for miles around."  
  
"Why should I believe you?" Kagome cried, clenching her fists.   
  
The man smirked. "True. So scream if you want to. It makes no difference to me."  
  
"Who ARE you anyway?" Kagome shouted. "Why'd you kidnap me? You had better have a good reason for doing this to me, buster!"  
  
"I do." The young man crossed his arms and leaned against the bars. It was like he was daring her to lunge at him. "My name is Naku. As to why I've kidnapped you... well, I don't plan to divulge that just yet. You'll find out soon enough."  
  
Kagome swallowed hard.  
  
"I'm not a slaver, if that's what you're thinking," Naku said contemptuously. "I do nothing so crude. But I can tell you that I've been commissioned to find you. And you'll fetch a price almost as pretty as your face, when I'm ready to turn you over."  
  
"A... price?" Kagome said, shocked. "Who hired you to do this?"  
  
"None of your concern. You'll see the client soon enough..."  
  
"You won't get away with this!" Kagome shouted, running up against the bars. "I'll have you know that when Inuyasha learns that I'm missing-"  
  
"Oh, he knows," Naku smirked. "And he's not coming for you." His cold yellow-brown eyes narrowed. "It's surprising how easy people are to manipulative when they're drugged. You wrote him a nice little note, and left him the Shikon shards. Now he thinks you've left him. For good."  
  
Kagome took a step back, her heart pounding. Inuyasha, she thought. You... you think that I'd...   
  
Then her face hardened. "Inuyasha is going to find out the truth soon enough! And when he does, you can bet he'll come after me! You won't have a chance against him!" she shouted, clutching the bars.   
  
"True," Naku said thoughtfully. "But even if he does learn that you didn't leave him of your own free will, he won't know who has taken you, or where you are."  
  
"He'll find a way!"  
  
"Your faith in him is touching," Naku said, sounding ominously amused. "But one thing you don't know about me is my reputation. I have hunted hundreds of humans and demons alike -- and never failed to catch my prey."  
  
Kagome grimaced. "Inuyasha's not just any demon."  
  
Naku's smile spread a little wider. He let his eyes roam over Kagome -- she was really quite pretty. Most of his victims were wizened little lords, or snarling demons. I really could have some fun with her, he thought. Maybe if I have enough time later...  
  
He stepped over to the doorway, then looked over his shoulder and smiled. "And when he does come, I'll be waiting for him. I've been offered a price for his head as well as yours. The only difference is, I was told to bring you in unharmed. On the other hand, I was told to bring in his head... and nothing else."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	12. The Bounty Chapter Twelve

CHAPTER TWELVE  
  
.  
  
The lord walked into his darkened bedchamber, shaking all over. The room was dark, except for a shaft of moonlight that seeped between the window screens. He sank onto his bedding, and tried to calm himself down. It wasn't working at all.  
  
If he learns that anyone knows that I called on him, he thought, Naku will kill me. What a fool I was to do business with that gods-forsaken assassin! And if those monks and demons find out...  
  
He stiffened as something rustled in the room. And something passed through the moonlight. "W-who is it?" he stammered.   
  
"Now, Sango!" a voice called from the darkness.  
  
Suddenly he felt something powdery being flung in his face. His eyes watered as he fell backwards, coughing and spluttering. He tried to call for his guards, but the powder seeped into his throat and nose, making him cough even harder.  
  
Suddenly strong arms were gripping him from behind, pinning his arms to his body, and pulling his head back. "H-help!" he croaked, struggling. But the arms gripping him only grew tighter. They were as strong and immovable as bands of steel.   
  
A dark figure rose out of the corner. "Do you have him, Inuyasha?" a man's voice asked quietly.  
  
"I have him," a hoarse voice at the lord's ear said. "Ain't giving me a lot of trouble either. Weakling."   
  
The lord felt himself being jerked back further by the arm. "I-I don't know who you are," he managed to gasp. "But you are condemning yourselves by attacking me! But if you release me now... ack... I shall be merciful..."  
  
"I don't think you will," the calm, quiet voice from the dark said. "You see, we know the truth about Naku. So you wouldn't dare to tell anyone about us."  
  
"I-I don't know what you're talking about," the lord lied desperately.   
  
"You'd better spill everything you know," the voice in his ear snarled. "Or else I'll break you in half, you sniveling bastard!"  
  
"He's quite capable of doing it," the calm voice said, sounding amused.  
  
Suddenly the lord recognized the calm voice coming from the darkness -- it was that young monk he had seen earlier in the day. The one with Naku's necklace. Horrified, the lord glanced down at the hand gripping his chest. The moonlight lit up the too-pale skin... and the pointed talons digging into his silken robe. A demon's hand.   
  
The last thing the lord heard before darkness came over him was:  
  
"Feh. The wimp's gone and fainted."  
  
.  
  
Naku frowned as he pulled off his fur-lined cloak. His iron necklace was gone -- it must have slipped off somewhere. But as he looked around, he couldn't find any trace of it. It must have fallen off in the roads somewhere, he thought.   
  
His eyes widened. Kagome had struggled a little as he first had picked her up, and he remembered a slight tug at his throat. She must have broken the chain, he thought. Then he shrugged. It was only a pendant, after all -- and no one could trace it to him.  
  
A gust of wind blew in the window, catching his attention.  
  
"About time the witch showed up," he muttered. He shrugged on his cloak and walked over to a doorway carved into the wall.   
  
As he walked down the narrow passageway, it grew smaller and smaller, until it was nothing but a crack in the rock face. With a grunt, Naku slipped through, and brushed the dust from his dark clothing.  
  
A beautiful, cold-faced woman was standing nearby, waiting for him. As he walked toward her, she frowned and tucked a fan under her wide sleeve. She was dressed like a noble lady, but he knew all too well that he was far above her. She was nothing but a pawn.  
  
"Come to check on me, Kagura?" Naku asked calmly.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	13. The Bounty Chapter Thirteen

CHAPTER THIRTEEN  
  
.  
  
The demon flicked her closed fan in a bored fashion. Her red eyes fixed on Naku for a moment, before her husky voice said, "I trust your mission is going well. Naraku sent me to see how you were doing." She frowned. "Are you any closer to capturing Kagome?"  
  
Naku smiled thinly. "Closer? I already have her inside."  
  
"Unharmed?"  
  
"Of course she is."  
  
Kagura actually looked slightly surprised. "How very fortunate. I presume you will be bringing the girl to Naraku, as you were instructed."  
  
"Not just yet." Naku crossed his arms, keeping his eyes on Kagura. She might be Naraku's thrall, but she could still stab him in the back. "First I need her as bait. I plan to collect the second half of my fee, as well as the silver bars."  
  
"So you intend to kill Inuyasha," Kagura said smoothly. "I should warn you that he is not to be trifled with."  
  
"Neither am I," Naku replied flatly. "I can deal with Inuyasha, Kagura. Just leave it to me."  
  
The demon glared at him for a moment, then pulled a feather from her hair. In a sweep of wind, she was airborne on the feather, rising high into the sky. She spared a backward glance at the human below her, walking back to his hidden home. Arrogant fool, she thought angrily. Condescending to me! Well, he'll learn about Inuyasha soon enough.  
  
.  
  
Kagura had flown him that first time he visited the demon Naraku, when he had first been hired. Through heavy, hazy mists and over a castle wall, down into an empty courtyard. He had walked into a darkened chamber, where a man was sitting. No a man, Naku had correct himself. A demon who had taken the form of a man.   
  
He looked ordinary enough -- tall and richly-dressed, sitting languidly by a window. But his face was just slightly strange, with eyes that seemed to glow a faint red. "So," Naraku said quietly. "You are Naku, the assassin."  
  
"Yes, I am."  
  
Naraku slowly looked over the young man. He was only a human, albeit clearly a strong one. But from the mind of a demon he had absorbed, he heard of Naku -- a human bounty hunter who killed for a small fortune in silver. What was more, unlike other human assassins, he sold his services to kill and capture demons as well as humans. And, most intriguingly, he was said to have never lost his prey -- even powerful demons.   
  
Yes, Naraku thought. A human, but still he might be able to deal with Inuyasha. He has cunning as well as strength.  
  
"I know of your terms," he said, sitting back. "And I am willing to pay substantially if you find a certain human girl. Her name is Kagome, and I wish for her to be brought to me. You may do whatever you wish with her, so long as she is brought to me with her body unharmed."  
  
Naku smiled slightly. "You know my price. I'll find this girl, if you give me some idea of where to find her."  
  
"There is more to your mission than that," Naraku said. "Kagome will be relatively easy to capture. However, she holds shards of the Shikon jewel."  
  
"I see," Naku said.  
  
"You are not interested?"  
  
"If I were given shards of the jewel, I'd take them. But I'm not about to go hunting after them."  
  
"I see," Naraku said, smiling. "Then listen carefully. Kagome travels in the company of Inuyasha, a powerful half-demon. When he learns that she is missing, he will surely come after you. Kidnap Kagome, and bring me Inuyasha's head, and in addition to your price in silver, you will receive Kagome's Shikon shards."  
  
Naku's eyes narrowed slightly in thought.  
  
"If you succeed in both ventures," Naraku continued, "I will have a pair of more challenging commissions for you. And if you succeed in those, then you will have the Shikon jewel in its entirety. Even a human can possess immense power with it."  
  
Naku smirked. "You must want these four dead very badly," he said in a low voice. "Very well. I'll deal with Kagome and Inuyasha first -- one dead, one alive. Then I'll take on your other commissions. Just tell me where to find Kagome, and when, and I'll deal with the rest."  
  
Naraku's eyes gleamed slightly. "We have a deal, then."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	14. The Bounty Chapter Fourteen

CHAPTER FOURTEEN  
  
.  
  
"Wake up, you pathetic bastard!" Inuyasha snapped.  
  
"He's still unconscious, Inuyasha," Miroku said with maddening patience.  
  
"He's been sleeping half the night!" Inuyasha shouted, jumping up. "When is that lump gonna wake up? Or do I have to wake him up myself?"  
  
He glared at the very rumpled, grubby lord. The older man was tied to a tree, with his head hanging down over his chest. He was drooling a little. Inuyasha could feel himself getting angrier by the moment -- every moment that passed was another moment before he could find Kagome.   
  
Sango and Shippo were sitting beside the fire, roasting a pair of puny fish they had caught. And Miroku was meditating -- or trying to. Inuyasha had deliberately made it as hard for the monk as possible, stalking around and snapping periodically. If he couldn't relax, he didn't want anyone to.  
  
"How long has it been?" Sango suddenly said.   
  
"Six hours," Inuyasha said sullenly. "I have Kagome's clock."  
  
"I think he isn't passed out," Shippo piped up. "I think he's just asleep."  
  
"Same here," the half-demon groused. "I'm gonna smack him awake."  
  
He stalked over and slapped his hand lightly over the lord's face. When the reedy man just groaned and smacked his lips, Inuyasha did it harder. On the fourth slap, his eyes fluttered open -- and his face turned into a mask of horror.  
  
"Who's this Naku?" Inuyasha snarled in his face. "Tell me!"  
  
"Inuyasha, please allow me to do this," Miroku said, nudging Inuyasha aside with his staff. Then he turned to the lord.   
  
The man was stammering. "I-I hope you know that you will be tortured and killed if you harm me!" he blustered. "My men will be searching for me even now! Any moment now -- "  
  
"Oh, I think not," Miroku said with the same intense calm. "We've taken you far enough from your manor that it would take a horseback rider nearly a day to reach us. In short, you are at our mercy. But don't worry," he added. "If at all possible, we won't harm you. But we do need to know who this Naku is, and where to find him."  
  
"I won't tell you!"  
  
"An innocent young girl's life hangs in the balance," Miroku said. "And Inuyasha has already said that he's going to break your fingers if you don't tell us." Miroku didn't plan to let Inuyasha harm the lord at all. But it wasn't a lie, and so his karma was unaffected.  
  
"Y-you're a Buddhist monk!" the man stammered. "Y-you aren't s-supposed to harm anyone! Or to consort with demons."  
  
"True," Miroku admitted. "But I'm not a terribly devout monk in some ways. Besides, Inuyasha here isn't a monk, or a Buddhist. And he's much stronger than I am. He cares a great deal about the girl's welfare, and if you keep your secrets much longer, I may not be able to restrain him. So if you tell me now, I won't let Inuyasha hurt you."  
  
Inuyasha glowered at the lord. He didn't usually scare people for the hell of it anymore, but he'd make an exception if it made the man confess. The man seemed to shrink against the tree trunk. "You don't understand," he quavered. "I-if he finds out I said a word about him, he'll kill me."  
  
"Naku?"  
  
"H-he told me never to reveal anything about him," the lord whimpered. "He said that anyone who betrayed him would be killed. I hired him so he could kill an enemy, and I benefited by getting plenty of land."  
  
"So the necklace is his?"  
  
"Yes. I noticed it when he was collecting his fee. Please, let me go -- you have what you wanted!"  
  
"No, we don't!" Inuyasha snapped. "Tell us where to find him."  
  
"I-if he learns that I've told you-"  
  
"He won't," Miroku said calmly. "And in your place, I would rather face a human assassin than Inuyasha in a rage. He can do a lot more damage."  
  
The lord wilted. "Very well," he mumbled. "I'll tell you how to find him. But it will do you no good. If you try to find him, you'll only die -- demons and humans alike!"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	15. The Bounty Chapter Fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN  
  
.  
  
The blade glittered as Naku tossed it hand over hand. Satisfied, he slid it into a sheath inside his clothing.  
  
The memory of his meeting with Naraku wasn't a particularly pleasant one. Naku had something that an assassin always had to have -- cunning. And he knew Naraku's mind. The demon didn't plan to hand over the sacred jewel to anyone -- Naku had seen in it his face. He'll get me to kill his enemies, then try to destroy me, he thought.   
  
Then he smirked. Not if I kill him first. String him along, take as much of his silver and jewel shards as I can. Make him think I'm a stupid little lackey who believes everything he's told. Then I'll dispose of him when things get too dangerous. I doubt that Kagura woman will get in my way. She hates him even more than I would....   
  
He went over his weapons, selecting the best of them, then paused and listened. Kagome had stopped screaming at some point. He was sure she hadn't escaped -- the window was too small for a grown human to squeeze through, even in a thin girl like her. And the only other way out was straight through his rooms.  
  
One thing to NOT bring: A bow and quiver of arrows. From what Naraku had told him, that girl could blast away anything she fired at if she got her hands on an arrow. Naku doubted that she could manage to escape him. But if she did, he didn't want her causing any problems. There was too much money riding on her.  
  
He slid a small dark vial into his sleeve, then stopped again. Better make sure, he thought.  
  
Naku ducked into the prison a moment later, and glanced at the cell. Kagome was curled up under the window, apparently asleep. Pretty little fool wore herself out, he thought. Well, she wouldn't get much sleep soon. He'd see to that, now that Inuyasha was coming for her.  
  
Suddenly Kagome blinked and sat up. "Oh, it's you," she said sulkily.  
  
"Were ya expecting someone else to turn up?" Naku smirked. "Your beloved Inuyasha, for example?"  
  
Kagome just glared at him.  
  
"I'm looking forward to fighting him," Naku continued. "It's always a challenge to go up against something powerful. Petty little lords and demon feuds get dull after awhile, even for money. It should be fun to kill off Inuyasha if he's half the demon people say he is."  
  
"You won't kill him," Kagome said. "You could NEVER beat him!"  
  
"Oh, and why's that? Because he's strong and powerful?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
Naku's smirk spread. "Let me show you a little souvenir I took from one of my jobs. That was a hard one too, so I thought I deserved a reward." He stepped back out, then returned with something enormous dangling from one arm. It was a head, a long narrow head with a pair of long, pronged horns, a pointed snout with jagged teeth, and a pair of dead red eyes that seemed to stare straight at Kagome.  
  
"It's a dragon's head," Naku said.   
  
Kagome stared in shock.  
  
"So," Naku said with a smile. "That should give you some idea of what Inuyasha's up against. Dragons are pretty strong and dangerous as well, aren't they, pretty maid?"  
  
Kagome crept back against the wall. I... I don't like the way he's watching me, she thought. He's freaking me out....  
  
Naku dropped the dragon's head, and dusted off his hands. Then, almost lazily, he flipped up the latch to the cell door, and stepped inside. Kagome tried to dart past him, only to fee his hand grab her hair and yank her up straight by it. "Yeeow!" she squeaked, trying to pull his hands off. "Let me go! LET ME GO! Inuyasha!"  
  
Naku leaned closer, his face spreading into another smile. He pulled Kagome's hair back further, making her look at his eyes. They were glinting, as if he were enjoying himself. "Don't fight me," he said quietly. "And you won't get hurt at all."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	16. The Bounty Chapter Sixteen

CHAPTER SIXTEEN  
  
.  
  
"We should be careful never to go there again," Miroku commented thoughtfully.  
  
"I agree. That lord doesn't seem like the sort to forgive and forget," Sango replied, glancing behind them.   
  
They had let the quivering lord go, after he had told Miroku where to contact Naku. Inuyasha's growling had probably helped matters. Then the little man had staggered off, muddy and disheveled, into the bushes. Sango and Miroku had quickly gotten onto Kirara's back, and long after sunup they were still circling the forests.  
  
"Do you think this is a trap?" Sango suddenly asked.  
  
"Most likely," Miroku said grimly. "Or else, this Naku is just very confident about his ability to stay hidden." He paused, then shouted, "Did you hear that, Inuyasha? Be very careful!"  
  
"Yeh, yeh," Inuyasha muttered. He landed lightly on a treetop, and scanned the horizon for any signs of demons or possible trouble ahead. One of his ears twitched. Water. Fast. Lots of it. It didn't stink of fish or scum, so it was probably a river filled with rapids.   
  
"What do you smell, Inuyasha?" Shippo said loudly.  
  
"A river," Inuyasha said. His heart started to speed up with anticipation, and he growled without even thinking about it. Come on, bastard, he thought. Come out and fight me.  
  
"I guess that lord was telling us the truth," Sango said, as Kirara swooped down near the two demons. "I was beginning to have my doubts about his honesty."  
  
"I didn't doubt it," Inuyasha said, slowing down to keep pace with Kirara and the two humans on her back.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"B'cause that lord knew what I was gonna do if he lied," Inuyasha said ominously. "I'd find that bastard and feed him his own guts... if he has any, which I don't think is very likely!"  
  
"True," Miroku said thoughtfully. "I hadn't thought of that. And Inuyasha, as crude as your methods were, at least they worked."  
  
"Course they worked!" Inuyasha said crabbily. "Do you have any idea how many times I've had to do that?" He grunted and leaped over a fallen tree, kicking away a flock of sparrows. Shippo squeaked as the sparrows fluttered around his head, then ducked back into the backpack. "And I'll do the same to this Naku!"  
  
Miroku watched him uneasily. "You should calm down, Inuyasha. Arriving in a rage isn't the best idea. You could walk straight into a trap."  
  
"Miroku's right," Shippo announced, poking his head out of the backpack.  
  
Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something really blistering to that annoying little kitsune... then stopped. He could smell something familiar -- down near the ground. He paused, and sniffed. Then the memory hit him like a brick in the head -- KAGOME! She had been here!  
  
"Inuyasha, what is it?" Miroku called.  
  
Inuyasha leaped down and sniffed at the ground. Then he saw it -- a little scrap of green cloth, caught on one of those long thorns. His fingers were shaking slightly as he pulled it loose, and sniffed it. Yes, it was Kagome's. And it had blood on it -- not much, meaning she had probably just been scratched. But the scent of her blood made him even angrier at Naku. He clenched a fist around the scrap.  
  
"What is it?" Sango called, coming up behind him. "What did you find?"  
  
Reluctantly Inuyasha uncurled his fingers. "A bit of her skirt." He grimaced and thrust it inside the backpack. "DAMN Naku! If he's even scratched her, there'll be hell to pay before I'm done!"  
  
With a growl, he leaped forward, with Shippo's rapidly fading voice berating him for going way too fast. "He'll hurt himself if he keeps up like this," Sango said grimly, sliding onto Kirara's back.   
  
"If we don't keep our eyes open for a trap," Miroku finished. The monk looked over her shoulder at the fast-moving blur of white and red. "I only wish I knew what to look for."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	17. The Bounty Chapter Seventeen

CHAPTER  
  
.  
  
Kagome grimaced and pulled at the rope around her neck.  
  
"Easy, little girl," Naku said, giving the rope a sharp tug. Kagome stumbled, groping at the air with her bound hands. As she started to fall, the rope suddenly yanked her up to her feet again. She began coughing and gasping, hunched over.  
  
"Don't forget, girl," Naku said coldly. "I have to bring you in unharmed. But the one paying for you won't object if I drug you." He turned her face up to his. "I wouldn't have a problem either. Remember, you do whatever I tell you when you're drugged."  
  
Kagome tried not to shiver.   
  
Naku gave her a sharp shove. "Walk on. Faster."  
  
Unhappily, Kagome kept walking just in front of Naku. He had been pushing her along ever since he removed the blindfold, carrying her down a place that smelled of damp and stone. Then he had put her on a sort of leash, and kept her hands tied so even if she tried to attack him, she couldn't.  
  
Kagome glanced back out of the corner of her eye. Naku was fondling some kind of knife in one hand -- a wicked-looking, long blade that ended in some kind of barbed hook. He caught her eye, smiled, and stuck it into a sheath inside his cloak. Kagome shivered again.  
  
She looked down at her bound wrists as she walked. In movies and books, people always managed to rub them off, or untie knots with their fingers. But the ropes were so tight that her fingers were numb. I can barely even move my hands, let alone untie the ropes, she thought dismally.  
  
"We're here," Naku said suddenly.   
  
Before Kagome could respond, something sharp jabbed into the back of her neck. The world around her faded to grey, and her body suddenly seemed to lose all its bones. As she sank down, the last think she saw was Naku bending over her... smiling....  
  
.  
  
Dammit, Inuyasha thought, sniffing the air. I'd give anything to hear Kagome right now.... I'd even be happy if she sat me...  
  
He winced. I really am desperate, he thought miserably.  
  
He dropped onto his hands and knees and began sniffing the ground. "Inuyasha, do you smell anything?" Miroku said.  
  
"Nothin' so far," Inuyasha grunted. "And stop breathin' so loud. It's distracting me."  
  
"Sorry." Miroku stepped back. After a moment, he said, "Inuyasha..."  
  
"What is it now?"  
  
"Forget about Kagome for one minute-"  
  
"WHAT?" Inuyasha snapped, sitting upright. But he reluctantly looked where Miroku was pointing. And his golden eyes widened. "What the hell..."  
  
A bunch of dirty-white objects were piled in a nearby ravine, spilling over into a streambed. Inuyasha crept closer, and gritted his teeth. Bones. Demon bones -- big ones, small ones, broken and jumbled together, like a pile of garbage. He saw centipede ribs, fox skulls, broken wolf carcasses, the shattered beaks of giant hawks. He sniffed. None of them were new.  
  
"I think we found where Naku leaves his garbage," Inuyasha said gruffly. He poked one of the skulls with his foot. "These must be demons he killed from the area around here."  
  
"Ugh," Shippo moaned from behind Miroku. "I feel sick."  
  
"It's truly hideous," Miroku said darkly. "An abomination, to simply kill for its own sake. If this man is half as skilled as he is said to be, then these demons were no threat to him. Especially," he glanced back at Shippo, "the smaller ones."  
  
Inuyasha gritted his teeth. This Naku bastard was as good as a demon-slayer. He glanced back at Sango, but even she seemed to be impressed by the number of bones in the ravine. "Sango, what is it?" he asked.  
  
"Some of those demons would need several demon-slayers to kill them," Sango said slowly. "If this Naku killed them single-handed, he must be very strong. Or very skilled."  
  
"Either way," Inuyasha muttered, "he ain't gonna live long enough to do much more."  
  
Suddenly he stiffened, and sniffed the air. A faint growl rose in his throat.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.   
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha whispered. Then he sprang forward, running at full speed across the ravine and into the woods beyond.  
  
"No, Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted, running after him. "It might be a trap! Inuyasha, wait! STOP!"  
  
"I won't stop!" Inuyasha growled, not even slowing down. He could smell her now -- she wasn't far away. And he was going to get to her before that Naku had a chance to do anything to do her.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	18. The Bounty Chapter Eighteen

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN  
  
.  
  
"Damn him!" Miroku said, clambering onto Kirara's back. "Why does he NEVER listen to me?"  
  
"Because he's stubborn," Sango said. "And he's worried about Kagome, more than about himself. After him, Kirara!"  
  
The demon-cat roared and raced away into the skies. But she wasn't as fast as Inuyasha, even in the air. Sango grimaced with frustration. We'll never catch up to him at this rate, she thought.  
  
She knew that Inuyasha was very strong, and that this Naku was only a human. But something about it all felt... wrong to Sango. There was something that made her uneasy. Sure, Inuyasha could slay just about any demon -- but this Naku had already proven himself to be a formidable foe. He would have made a reknowned demon-slayer... except that a demon-slayer needed a heart as well. This bounty hunter seemed to have none.  
  
For most humans, Sango wouldn't have worried. Inuyasha could subdue every human they had come across, except Miroku. With the void in his hand, he was something of an exception. But the bones in that pit had unnerved Sango. Inuyasha was powerful, but he was also hotheaded, brash... and despite what he liked to think, not invulnerable.  
  
She wasn't sure exactly what was going on. But Sango didn't want Inuyasha facing this assassin alone....  
  
.  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
Inuyasha's voice rang out over the forests, sending flocks of birds scattering into the sky. A streak of red shot past the trees, pausing on a rock ledge. "Kagome!" Inuyasha bellowed again, with a note of desperation in his voice.  
  
He could smell her. She had walked this way -- no blood, so she wasn't wounded. Not in a way that made her bleed, anyhow. Inuyasha knew all too well that there were ways of wounding that didn't draw blood. He gritted his teeth, determined to get to her before this Naku guy could do anything to her. And he had been spending the past few days thinking up imaginative tortures for Naku, if anything had already happened to her...  
  
One scratch. If she has one scratch, he thought.  
  
"Kagome!" he shouted. He jumped from the ledge and raced through the forest, smelling the air. Then he saw her.  
  
Kagome was sprawled under a tree, her face hidden by the grass. Her uniform was smudged with dirty and crumpled. And she looked as if she had been flung there carelessly, like a broken doll. Or a corpse.  
  
Inuyasha's heart almost stopped. Kagome... don't be... he thought.  
  
"Kagome!" he shouted, springing down to her side. He slid his arms under her back, and lifted her as gently as he could. "Kagome?"  
  
The girl's eyes fluttered. "No... let me go..." she mumbled. "Don't hurt him..."  
  
Drugged again, Inuyasha thought. He jostled her a little, whispering, "Kagome, it's me!"  
  
Kagome's eyes slowly opened, as if she were afraid to see who was there. "Inuyasha?" she asked in disbelief. "Is that really you?"  
  
Inuyasha stared. "Huh?"  
  
And somehow, now Kagome was hugging him tightly. Inuyasha drew back a little, looking down at her head. Somehow he wasn't entirely sure where to put his hands. "I was so scared," Kagome mumbled into his chest. "I was afraid that you would think I'd really left you. That Naku -- he spent the whole time saying --"  
  
"It don't matter now," Inuyasha said in a low voice. "Where is he?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Naku!" Inuyasha gripped Kagome's shoulders. "You think I'm gonna let that bastard get away with kidnapping you? Just tell me where he went and I'll go bring you whatever's left of him!"  
  
Kagome stared at him for a moment. Then an odd, frightened look came over her face. "Inuyasha, I don't want you to. Naku is--"  
  
A branch cracked loudly.  
  
Then Inuyasha stiffened. He let go of Kagome's arm and slowly turned around, with his hands on Tetsusaiga. In the shadows of the forest, a dark shape was walking slowly toward them. Kagome crept behind Inuyasha, clutching at his sleeve. The half-demon was openly growling now.  
  
"Time to play," Naku said.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	19. The Bounty Chapter Nineteen

CHAPTER NINETEEN

.

"Are you the one they call Naku?" Inuyasha growled.

"That's me," the assassin said coolly. He glanced over Inuyasha's face, with his silver hair and dog ears. "And judging from that tender little interlude with Kagome, you must be Inuyasha. A pretty little thing, isn't she? She must be even more charming when she comes along willingly."

Inuyasha felt another growl rising up in his throat. "Kagome," he said in a low voice, gripping Tetsusaiga, "did this bastard do anything to you? Did you hurt you -- at all?"

"N-not much," Kagome said slowly. She grabbed Inuyasha's arm. "But Inuyasha -- please, don't fight him. We have to just get away-"

"Get AWAY?" Inuyasha said almost incredulously. "I've been hunting this Naku creep for days. And now I'm planning to show him what he's up against!"

"Just try it," Naku said, smirking. "I've been anticipating fighting you for quite some time. Killing off centipedes and slaughtering lordlings can be so dull when you do it for long enough. You should be more difficult to kill than them."

"Hah. What makes you think a measly human like you even has a chance of killing me?"

"The fact that I've never failed to capture my prey before. And you will make a fine, challenging prey, Inuyasha." Naku crossed his arms. "And most delightful of all, I'll have earned my just reward then."

Inuyasha's eyes flicked down to his sword, and he remembered something about it. Tetsusaiga won't work on a human, he thought. Even a human as evil as this guy. Well, I'll just have to do it the old way -- and there isn't a human alive who can stand up to my claws! His fingers cracked ominously.

Naku made the first move, grasping a blade at his belt. Inuyasha leapt toward him like a bolt of lighting, slashing down at Naku's exposed throat. For a moment he thought it had almost been too easy... and then he slammed into a tree trunk, smashing his arm against a bough.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried.

"Not bad," a mocking voice said. Behind Inuyasha, Naku was crouched on the ground, where he had leapt as the half-demon charged. "Too bad I could see it coming."

Inuyasha turned with a growl. His arm was tingling, but it wasn't broken. He flexed his fingers experimentally. "Lucky dodge," he said scornfully. "But how many times you plan to get lucky, sicko?"

"As many times as it takes," Naku said. "And perhaps even longer, if you are that predictable every time you fight." He grinned. "Surely you can do better than that!"

The human leaped forward, with a bright blade in one hand. Inuyasha blocked the blow with one arm, and felt the blade slash at his fire-rat sleeve. It couldn't cut through. With a snarl, he grabbed the blade and snapped it off at the hilt. Then he tossed it into the trees-

"INUYASHA!" Kagome shrieked.

Too late, Inuyasha realized that Naku had been counting on him doing that. That second of being off-guard had let the human take another swipe at him -- and this time, Inuyasha could smell the demon scent on the thin knife. Like a demon-slayer's weapon. With a grunt, Inuyasha leaped into the trees and crouched for a moment, waiting for Naku's next strike.

Dammit, he IS good, he thought. Even most demons don't give me this much trouble. And he's just a weak human assassin -- what is with this guy? Why haven't I finished him off yet?

A barbed disc spun past Inuyasha's head.

Discarding his thoughts, Inuyasha leaped out of the tree and down toward Naku. He was on the offensive again, slashing and striking at the human's face and throat. But Naku was dodging him somehow, leaping and feinting, all with that mocking grin on his face. It was making Inuyasha furious. He took a flying leap, somersaulting in the air as he descended down toward Naku.

Then a fist hammered into his face.

Inuyasha was dazed by the pain of it for a moment, as he slammed back into a tree trunk. Another fist struck him in the chin, making his head spin as his skull cracked back against the bark. He saw the glint of something in Naku's hand, and struggled to grab it, but it slashed down the length of his hand and...

Kagome screamed hysterically as she saw what had happened. She saw Naku pull out the long, barbed, hooked knife from inside his sleeve, and plunge the wicked-looking blade deep into Inuyasha's exposed stomach.

TO BE CONTINUED


	20. The Bounty Chapter Twenty

CHAPTER TWENTY

Kagome shrieked as she saw the barbed blade cut into Inuyasha's abdomen. The half-demon didn't make a sound, but a look of overwhelming shock came over his face. His body strained a little as he tried to push himself away from Naku, but the blade had him pinned against the tree, helpless as a dying insect.

"You should've seen that coming," Naku sneered. He gave the knife an extra twist, extracting a faint groan from Inuyasha. "Even if you tried to pull it out, you'd only make it worse. And this stab wound is the most painful way to die."

Kagome felt like fainting. Now she knew why Naku had been fondling that knife on the way. Frantically she looked around for a weapon, but couldn't find anything. Not a branch, not a rock. But I have to do something! she thought wildly. Inuyasha...

A noise between a growl and a groan came out of Inuyasha's throat. "Damn you to hell," he whispered.

"You'll be there before I am," Naku smirked. "Do you want me to gut you like a fish? Or would you rather I slit your throat and give you a quick death?"

Kagome's heart almost stopped. "Inuyasha," she whispered.

"How about the third option?" Inuyasha snarled.

His claws suddenly dug into Naku's wrist, and tore the human's hand away from the knife hilt. With a burst of strength, the half-demon pushed Naku backwards, throwing him off balance. Then Inuyasha's fist slammed into Naku's face, three times, tossing him back to the ground.

Inuyasha forced himself away from the tree with a groan. He was panting, clutching at the dagger hilt in his belly. Kagome could see that he was sweating, and the dark stain around the blade was getting bigger and wetter. "WHO ARE YOU?" he growled. "Are you in league with Naraku? Who sent you to capture Kagome?"

Naku slowly rose, wiping a trickle of blood from his mouth. "Sorry to tell you this, but I don't give out my clients' names. Suffice to say that that beautiful maiden and your head were what was asked for." He smirked.

"Inuyasha, don't!" Kagome cried. If Inuyasha fought someone as wily as Naku now, he would lose.

"BASTARD!" Inuyasha lunged forward, raising his free hand.

But now that Inuyasha was badly wounded, Naku was faster. The human dodged Inuyasha's blow, and slammed his elbow into the side of Inuyasha's head. The half-demon stumbled and fell to the ground. A raw howl of pain rang out as he landed. in a heap, clutching feebly at the knife that was still biting into him. Streams of hot lead seemed to be pouring into his blood -- and he couldn't pull the knife out.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome ran to his side, and helped the suffering half-demon onto his knees. "Inuyasha..."

"D-dammit," Inuyasha gasped.

Then Kagome looked up, Naku was smiling at her -- SMILING, after what he had done. "I'll be back later," he said calmly. "And by the time I do, Inuyasha, you'll probably be dead, or desperate for me to just end it. Because if you pull that knife out, you'll only shred yourself from the inside out. I doubt you'd enjoy that. So spare this lovely girl the sight, and just die quietly."

Then he turned and vanished into the woods.

Inuyasha uttered a faint growl, which slowly dissolved into a pained moan. His fingers were digging into Kagome's arm. She managed to half-support him, helping him scoot back against the tree. He almost collapsed against the trunk, breathing hard. "He's gone... isn't he?" he said faintly.

"I think so," Kagome said. "Inuyasha... hang on..."

Inuyasha just made another stifled whimpering noise. His face was pale and sweaty, and his fists were shaking a little. Kagome had seen him be stabbed before, but he hadn't looked this bad since his own brother had slammed a hand through his chest. It must be because the knife is still in him, Kagome thought. She looked down at the dagger hilt protruding from Inuyasha's stomach. Everything was wet with blood.

But how can I get it out? Kagome agonized. If I try to pull it out, it'll just hurt him even more -- maybe kill him...

She started to reach for the hilt, when Inuyasha's faint voice interrupted her. "Kagome..."

"Yes?"

Inuyasha took a deep breath. His golden eyes were bloodshot. "I need you to do something for me... and you ain't gonna like it."

TO BE CONTINUED


	21. The Bounty Chapter Twenty One

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

x

The fire-cat raced across the sky, her slitted red eyes watching the ground for any hint of Inuyasha or Kagome. "Inuyasha can be such a fool," Miroku muttered, from behind Sango.

"Inuyasha can beat Naku, can't he?" Shippo asked.

"He might," Sango said. "But if Naku is a human, he can't use Tetsusaiga. And if Naku is powerful enough to kill large numbers of demons, then perhaps he could injure Inuyasha. Especially if Inuyasha rushes straight into a trap -- which he's almost certainly doing."

"Which is why we need to get to him as quickly as possible," Miroku said. "Inuyasha might be able to subdue Naku, but with an enemy like this, there are no garuantees. Especially since we don't know who hired him to kidnap Kagome."  
  
Suddenly the air in front of them rippled and flashed, and the small group nearly flew right into it. Kirara pulled up short, snarling at the sudden obstruction.

"A barrier!" Miroku exclaimed.

"You think Naku is responsible for this?" Sango asked.

"I doubt it. Even an assassin wouldn't have the power necessary to erect a barrier like this." Miroku reached into his robe, and pulled out a handful of small paper slips. He brandished them in front of him like daggers. "Let's see how powerful it is."

He flung the papers into the barrier, and watched as lightning streamed over the barrier's surface. Then the slips of paper dissolved into ashes, and the barrier resumed its normal appearance. "Very, very powerful," the monk said soberly.

x

"W-what is it?" Kagome asked, dreading the answer.

Inuyasha glanced down at the bloodstained knife hilt, and gripped it tightly. A spasm of pain went over his face; there was a faint cracking noise, and the hilt snapped off the blade, leaving only a long, jagged piece of metal in its place. Then he looked back at Kagome, with a grim, resigned look in his eyes. "Go on."

"What?"

"Push it through."

"Push..." Kagome felt sick, just thinking about what he had said. "But Inuyasha..."

"It's the only way to get it out," Inuyasha said grimly. Sweat was beading on his face. "The damn thing's barbed, so just pulling it out would only do more harm. Come on, Kagome -- I can't do this myself."

Kagome watched his face for a moment, then gritted her teeth. "Okay, I'll do it," she said in a small voice. "I-I'll try to make it as quick as I can, Inuyasha."

As she wrapped her fingers around what was left of the hilt, she felt Inuyasha bracing himself against the tree. Her heart was racing, and for a moment, Kagome was paralyzed by her own fears. What if pushing the knife through only hurt Inuyasha worse? With Naku in the woods...

"Do it!" Inuyasha grunted.

Kagome flinched, and pushed down as hard as she could. The next few minutes seemed to stretch into hours, as the blade slowly slid deeper into Inuyasha's body. The only sound she could hear was his ragged breathing. Sweat streamed down his face as he fixed his eyes on the sky, and Kagome could feel his body trembling and arching under her hands. His hands were clutching wildly at her shoulders.

Then Kagome slipped a hand behind Inuyasha's back, and gripped the bloodstained blade, with its wicked-looking barbs, and its hooked end. Inuyasha's battered body gave one last jerk as Kagome pulled the knife from his back. More blood stained the tree bark as he slowly sank down, still clutching at Kagome's arms.

Kagome felt sick at the sight of all Inuyasha's blood, and at the sight of his pallid face. "Inuyasha?" she whispered fearfully. "Can you hear me?"

His eyelids flickered. Then Inuyasha managed a weak smile.

TO BE CONTINUED


	22. The Bounty Chapter Twenty Two

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

x.

"Are you ready, Sango?" Miroku asked.

"I'm ready."

The monk took a deep breath, staring at the rippling barrier in front of him. "I can only break through for a minute or two. So as soon as it opens, all of you run through as fast as possible."

Sango nodded, and stood ready to run.

Miroku brandished the spell scrolls in one hand, ready to fling them at the barrier. He was nervous, since he had never attempted anything like this before. But if Inuyasha was squaring off against a deadly assassin, with Kagome's life hanging in the balance, he had to at least try.

With a cry, the monk flung the papers into the barrier. As the shimmering barrier sputtered and sparked, Miroku jammed his staff into the midst of the scrolls. A bolt of lightning seemed to coil around the staff, almost jerking it from Miroku's hands. He gripped it harder, and pushed it deeper into the barrier. A hole formed around the staff, spreading outward until it was almost as wide as he was tall.

The power of the barrier was rippling through the staff, almost throwing him off his feet. Miroku felt as if he was being electrocuted, struck by a thousand tiny lightning bolts.

"Miroku!" Sango cried.

"Go!" Miroku said through gritted teeth. "I can't hold it for much... longer... agh..."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sango race through the barrier's hole. Two small forms -- one reddish, one white -- darted in after her. Miroku began to draw back the staff, as the spell scrolls crumbled to ashes and dissolved. Then a flash of blue light threw the monk backwards. For a moment, Miroku lay still, breathing hard. His staff lay beside him, with smoke rising from the metal rings.

Then he sat up and wiped his forehead. "Hoo," he whispered. At least Sango, Shippo and Kirara had gotten through. Now he could only wait for them... and hope that they got to Inuyasha and Kagome in time.

x.

A dark figure walked slowly through the forest.

Naku grimaced as he looked at his arm. That damn Inuyasha had slashed him with those claws; there were three bloody cuts across his hand and wrist. Cursing under his breath, he tore a small piece of cloth and wrapped it tightly around the claw marks. They would heal, but it was still an annoyance. Especially during a hunt.

He glanced up at the sky. It had been very convenient of Naraku to erect that barrier. That way, the meddlesome slayer and monk hadn't been able to interrupt him when he attacked Inuyasha. That half-demon was arrogant and crude in his fighting. Nothing honed or skilled at all.

Suddenly a shape moved out of the bushes -- a huddled figure wearing a white baboon pelt. "So, Naku... how did your battle with Inuyasha go?" Naraku's voice asked smoothly.

"Very well."

"Really?" Naraku's voice hardened slightly. "Unless I am mistaken, you did not kill him. Nor did you bring Kagome to me."

"All in good time, Naraku."

"Explain this to me."

Naku smirked. "Only a fool will try to kill a wild dog outright. A wise hunter wounds the dog deeply and fatally, and then retreats to somewhere safe. Let the dog run, and bleed its lifeblood as it tries to escape." He crossed his arms. "If I had tried to take Inuyasha's head while he lay there wounded, he would have torn off my head. Better to let him bleed and suffer until he's too weak to resist. And then..."

"I see," Naraku said, his voice thawing slightly. "You have unusual cunning." The demon's eyes shifted inside the mask. "And then, you will bring me Inuyasha's head, and the girl Kagome -- alive, and unharmed in body. I have uses for her that you know nothing of. And in return, you will receive your payment and the Shikon shards."

"Of course. As was agreed." Naku's eyes narrowed slightly. "Since I am close to fulfilling my commission, I would like to know -- who are the other two you wish for me to find?"

"I will only tell you that one is a powerful priestess. The other is Inuyasha's older brother, a demon of almost unrivaled power."

"If he's anything like his brother, he should take no more than a day to kill," Naku said with a smile. He watched as Naraku retreated into the shadows, and seemed to vanish into thin air. Then he drew a long, gleaming sword from under his cloak -- a sword that glowed with a faint greenish light.

The hunter smiled. Inuyasha would find out all too soon what that blade could do. Naku had given him a lingering wound, but death itself would come all too quickly.

TO BE CONTINUED


	23. The Bounty Chapter Twenty Three

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

x.

Kagome dabbed a little sweat from Inuyasha's forehead. He hadn't moved since she had removed the broken blade from his stomach, and had quickly bound up the wound with a slashed bit of his sleeve. He made a soft noise, not quite a groan and not quite a whimper.

"I-Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha said faintly.

"How do you feel? Do you think you can walk?"

Inuyasha winced at the idea. A little more blood seeped around the bandage.

Kagome bit her lip. She couldn't stop Inuyasha's bleeding, and he was obviously on the verge of passing out. What had Naku done to him? Had that blade been poisoned or something? Inuyasha was tough, but there were things that could poison even him.

She eased him down onto the ground; when more blood dribbled out from under the bandage, she quickly tightened it around his waist. He winced again, then his face slackened. He looked peaceful, as if he were only sleeping. Kagome wiped her hands on her short skirt, hoping that he got some rest... until Miroku and Sango showed up....

Suddenly his golden eyes opened, staring straight past her. "Something's wrong," he said hoarsely.

Kagome's heart almost skipped. "W-what's wrong? Is it getting worse?"

"Something wrong... with that bastard..." Inuyasha continued, almost to himself. But then he drifted away again, with his clawed hand clutching Kagome's.

x.

Sango ran swiftly through the woods, with Kirara racing behind her. Shippo clung to the fire-cat's back. She tried not to think of how she had left Miroku -- he would be all right, she knew. But the sight of him trying to keep the gap open was painful to recall.

Her eyes fell on a log that had been smashed to bits -- recently. That was definitely Inuyasha's work. He had little patience for obstacles. Sango leaped over it, breathing hard. "Come on, faster!" she called back.

"Do you really think Naku hurt Inuyasha?" Shippo called.

"I don't know!" Sango replied. Inuyasha was powerful, but there was something about this Naku that made her uneasy. Better that Inuyasha have backup.

She only wished Miroku were there too. She was confident in her own abilities, but it was never a good idea to go into a battle alone. That was what Father had always taught her, ever since she had been old enough to fight little demon rats and crows.

Suddenly Sango sensed something behind her. As she turned, a long whirling rod came spinning out of the trees. She dodged it -- but only then sensed a dark shape coming up behind her. She felt a blow on the back of her head and tumbled into unconsciousness, cursing how she had been so easily tricked...

x.

Kagome sat alone for a long time, thinking and holding Inuyasha's hand. He was still holding her fingers tightly, which reassured her. Dark blood was still seeping from the makeshift bandage, and Inuyasha had made little groaning sounds from time to time. His face was sweaty. He'll be okay, she thought. He's had worse. And he always got better...

Then a horrible thought came into her mind. What if Naku came back while Inuyasha was injured and helpless?

Kagome gave Inuyasha's cheek a few light slaps. "Inuyasha," she whispered. "Inuyasha, wake up! We have to get out of here. Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha winced and twisted a little, but didn't wake up.

"Don't bother. That filthy puppy has probably been bled dry by now."

Kagome froze, still clutching Inuyasha's hand in hers. Her worst fears came true -- Naku stepped into the clearing, with a wide smile on his cold face. "What should I do with both of you?" he asked.

TO BE CONTINUED


	24. The Bounty Chapter Twenty Four

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

x.

Miroku's head ached as he sat back against a tree. Breaking a hole in that barrier had taken its toll on him, and despite his longing to follow Sango and the others, he knew he couldn't. He would just have to hope that they were all all right. Especially Sango....

He didn't doubt Sango's fighting skills -- she had been trained all her life to fight, kill, and outmaneuver creatures that few humans could even hope to wound. But it would have made him feel better if he could have stayed by her side. That way, if anything went wrong, he would be able to help...

Then he froze. A shadow had passed over him.

For a moment the monk stayed motionless. Then he crept out of the tree's shadow and looked up at the sky. Against the darkening sky, he could see the silhouette of a beautiful woman, staring through the barrier. And she was riding on a feather.

Kagura.

Miroku pulled the beads from his hand; at the same moment, Kagura's scarlet eyes looked down at him. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," she called down. With a loud buzzing sound, several wasps flew up behind her.

Miroku grimaced and wound the beads around his wrist again. He was tempted to suck away the demon woman, even knowing that it was risking death to take in any of Naraku's wasps. But he didn't want to -- not yet. "Kagura!" he shouted. "Tell me what you're doing here! Is this one of Naraku's traps?"

"Of a sort," the wind sorceress said disdainfully. "But you have no need for concern. For the moment." She smiled slightly as the feather drifted away.

"What are you doing here?!" Miroku repeated.

"I'm here merely as an observer," Kagura said coyly, flicking her fan out at the barrier. "I'm here to watch the show."

Then she waved the fan, sending a gust of wind curling under her feather. It soared away, over the trees and beyond the barrier's reach. Her lips curled into a smile as she watched him. You shouldn't worry about your friends, she thought. You should be more worried about yourself. Once Inuyasha is dead, I doubt Naraku will want you alive much longer either.

"Kagura!" Miroku shouted, running toward the barrier. Then he stopped, frustrated, and cursed under his breath. He couldn't follow her. All he could do was cling to the hope that Inuyasha, Sango and Kagome were all right....

With a grimace, the monk stuck his hand into his robe. He had a few spell scrolls left -- maybe he could break open the barrier again. It was worth a try. Even with Kagura lurking nearby, his wind tunnel might be needed to fight Naku...

x.

Kagome was too terrified to move. Naku was just looking down at her, with that creepy thin smile on his face. His eyes moved down to Inuyasha. The half-demon was still and pale, with blood soaking the ghastly wound in his stomach. His face didn't even twitch at the sound of Naku's voice.

"I see he's bled almost to death," Naku said coldly.

"Get out of here!"

"And if I don't?" Naku crossed his arms. "Stay out of my way, girl."

"S-stay away from him!" Kagome called.

Naku's smile widened at that, as if she had made an unusually funny joke. Then he drew a long, slender sword. The blade glowed faintly as he took a step towards the wounded half-demon. "I was hoping to hear him beg for death," he said. "But I'll just have to deal with him right away. This assignment has already taken far longer than I thought it would. And I'm in a hurry to deal with my next assignments."

Desperately, Kagome clutched Tetsusaiga and lunged at Naku, head-butting him in the stomach. Startled, the assassin staggered back, pushing the girl away. Kagome landed in a heap, with the sword falling from her hand. Suddenly Naku kicked her in the shoulder, then pinned her arm down with one of his feet. "If I hadn't been told to bring you in unharmed," he said through gritted teeth.

"Don't hurt him!" Kagome cried. She wriggled wildly as Naku turned back to Inuyasha's prone form, and raised his sword. "Please, don't hurt him! Don't!"

Naku's sword paused in mid-air, as if the assassin were thinking about the young man he was about to kill. Kagome tried to tear herself away from Naku, try to get between Inuyasha and the assassin, but she couldn't move. The half-demon still lay as if dead, not hearing Kagome's cries. The sun glinted on the blade, just before it swung down toward Inuyasha's exposed throat.

And more blood spilled over the ground.

TO BE CONTINUED


	25. The Bounty Chapter Twenty Five

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

x.

For a moment, there was silence. Kagome's eyes were squeezed tightly shut... but she slowly forced herself to open them. And she gasped.

Apparently Inuyasha wasn't as unconscious as they had thought he was. His hand had caught the sword blade in mid-air, and he was half-lying, half-crouching, glaring up at Naku with a snarl on his face. "Nice try," he growled.

Naku looked surprised for a moment. Then he smirked. "Not dead yet, huh?"

Blood was trickling down Inuyasha's wrist. "Not dead enough... that I can't take care of a rat like you," he growled. His eyes darted over to Kagome. "Especially... if you don't GET OFF HER!"

With a shout of rage, he smashed the bloodstained blade aside, and drove Naku a few steps back. Kagome scrabbled away, almost shaking. Inuyasha was more than a match for Naku normally -- but he was horribly injured. He had stumbled as he got up, and even now he was slower than he usually was. What was even worse, Naku knew it.

"Inuyasha, watch out!" she cried.

He didn't seem to hear her. He was crouched near Naku, with his claws cracking ominously. "I could tell there something rotten right from the start," he growled. "You smell like a human."

He sprang toward Naku, slashing at the older man's neck. Naku leaped back with a slight smile.

"You look like one..."

Naku started to leap away -- only to see too late that Inuyasha had been feinting. Inuyasha's fist slammed into Naku's jaw, slamming the older man into the ground. Inuyasha stood still, with his shaking fist held out in front of him. "And... now I wanna know what the hell you really are!" he snarled.

Naku slowly crept up, with a trickle of blood coming from his mouth. He wiped it away with his sleeve. "Haven't you figured it out yet, you fool?" he said, smiling slightly. "If you haven't, then you're even stupider than I thought you were."

Inuyasha growled softly, but didn't take the bait. Then Naku sprang forward, a dagger seeming to magically appear in his hand. Inuyasha grabbed that wrist -- and doubled over with a raw howl as Naku punched him in the stomach.

"Stop it!" Kagome cried, throwing herself on Naku's back and trying to wrestle him away from Inuyasha. Naku twisted around, trying to grab her and throw her off, releasing his hold on Inuyasha. The half demon stumbled back, clutching at his stomach. Then Naku grabbed Kagome and threw her roughly to the ground. "Stay out of this, girl," he snapped.

But Kagome had given Inuyasha a few minutes to recover. He rushed toward Naku, slamming him against a tree trunk. "Who -- the hell -- are you?!" he snarled.

Naku slipped aside like a wraith, and Inuyasha's reflexes were too slow to catch him. He grabbed the half-demon boy's wrists and held him back. Blood was seeping from Inuyasha's wounded hand, and Kagome could see him shaking as he fought to keep Naku from getting any closer.

"I... am like YOU," Naku said.

It was too soft to be heard, almost, but for a moment it was all Inuyasha could hear. He stumbled back a few steps, then took another swipe with his claws. But Naku was already racing away, with a devilish smile on his cold face. "We'll continue this another time," he announced. "Right now I don't feel like fighting three at once, even if you are bleeding like a gutted dog."

"Get back here, damn you!" Inuyasha started to go after Naku, but a dagger spun out of the underbrush, and dodging it made him stumble. When he got to his feet, the assassin was already gone, and even his sensitive ears couldn't hear any retreating footsteps.

"D-dammit," he whispered, crumpling to his knees.

He felt Kagome kneel beside him, trying to rebandage his torn abdomen. He was starting to feel dizzy -- not only had he lost a lot of blood, but fighting with such wounds had taken its toll. Now that the hot rush of rage and battle was gone, he just felt something he hated... weakness. He leaned heavily on Kagome, and let her help him sit down.

He had a lot of thinking to do. And he would have time to do it as he healed.

TO BE CONTINUED


	26. The Bounty Chapter Twenty Six

CHAPTER

x.

"Sango!" Shippo cried out.

Sango crashed to the ground, her boomerang falling beside her on the grass. Terrified, the kitsune did the only thing he could think of -- he sent a massive swirl of foxfire at the enemy. The dark-clad figure leaped away nimbly, and for a moment Shippo thought that he was retreating. Kitsune magic WAS very formidable, he thought proudly.

Then a strong hand gripped Shippo's head. Before he had time to throw more foxfire, the hand lifted him off the ground and hurled him away. He smashed into a tree trunk and slowly slid to the ground, too dizzy and breathless to react again. Through teary eyes, he saw the person bending over Sango. Was he going to kill her?

"W-wait," Shippo wheezed, crawling out of the bushes.

Then Kirara snarled and transformed into her larger form, taking off after the shadowy man. But the person -- Naku, Shippo supposed -- had already sensed that. He leaped into the tree branches, with the enraged firecat just behind him.

Shippo crept over to Sango, still trying to get his breath back. "S-Sango," he said, shaking her shoulder. "Sango, wake up!"

The demon-slayer groaned but didn't wake up. Shippo kept shaking her frantically, trying to get her to open her eyes. It wasn't SAFE here, he knew. And if Naku could manage to sneak up on Sango, he was very dangerous. He just hoped that Kirara got Naku and stopped him.

But a few minutes later, Kirara landed beside Sango.

"Did you get him?" Shippo asked.

The fire-cat growled loudly.

Shippo grabbed Sango's arm. "Quick, Kirara! Help me drag her away!" Kirara sank her fangs into the back of Sango's slayer uniform and helped the kitsune drag her away.

x.

Miroku wasn't looking forward to getting through the barrier. It hadn't been pleasant getting a hole open for Sango and the others; it would be even worse trying to make one large enough so that he could step through before it closed. But he had to -- the others needed to know that Naraku was somehow involved in Kagome's kidnapping.

What he didn't understand was why -- why would Naraku hire a human bounty hunter to kill Inuyasha? Why not send another of his incarnations? Perhaps it was Naku's reputation -- stealth and intelligence. Miroku had to admit -- none of Naraku's incarnations had shown much of either, except maybe Kagura.

Well, enough thinking, he thought. The monk gripped the sutras in one hand and his staff in the other, and started toward the barrier. The pieces of paper flew out from his fingers, landing with a sizzle on the barrier. White light snaked over the barrier's surface, as Miroku thrust his staff against it with a shout....

And the barrier vanished.

Miroku stopped short. "Did I do that?" he said, startled.

There was a long pause, where only the wind replied. Then he heard something in the distance, and saw Kagura flying away on her feather, followed by a swarm of Naraku's poisonous insects. And sitting beside her on the feather was a huddled dark form -- Miroku couldn't see who it was, since the person had a cloak pulled over his face and head.

That must be Naku, he thought. He started to run after them, then stopped. Kagura was speeding away as fast as a sea wind; he could never catch her on foot. And... if Naku was leaving... then he must have tangled with Inuyasha. And if Inuyasha hasn't shown up back at the edge of the barrier, he thought, then he may be hurt -- or worse.

Gritting his teeth, Miroku turned and ran into the woods. He just hoped that Inuyasha had driven Naku into a hasty retreat, and gotten delayed by something else.

And then another thought occurred to him -- one that alarmed him even more. Where was Sango?

TO BE CONTINUED


	27. The Bounty Chapter Twenty Seven

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

x.

Sango came awake with a start, spluttering and coughing. Water was in her eyes, ears and nose -- something was dangling her like a baby kitten. "Wha-wha-" she gasped, flailing weakly. Then suddenly she was dunked underwater, and hoisted back out again.

"Sango! Quick, Kirara, put her down!"

Sango felt herself being lowered onto the ground. She coughed for a moment, then pushed the wet hair out of her eyes. "Wha-"

"Sango, quick!"

Someone was shaking her -- Shippo? Sango coughed up more water, then sat up and shook her head. "Sh-Shippo... what in the world happened to me? And why were you dunking my head in a stream?"

Kirara growled curiously. "Someone was running away, Sango," Shippo said. "They hit you on the head, and we had to wake you up somehow!"

All of Sango's memories flooded back -- Naku, the barrier, the forest, and... Inuyasha and Kagome? She gasped and began racing through the dark trees. Her head still throbbed from where Naku had struck it, but she stumbled on ahead, ignoring her own pain. She could hear Shippo and Kirara racing just behind her. The demon-slayer reached for her short sword...

And then she smelled it: Blood.

A lot of blood.

Sango's heart almost stopped as she skidded down a small hill. A flash of red was down on the ground, not moving. As Sango parted the branches, she saw Inuyasha sprawled out, rested against a tree. Great streaks of crimson blood stained the ground, the trees, and Inuyasha's own battered body. He wasn't moving; his face was as pale as the palest pearl.

For a moment, Sango feared he was dead. Then she saw Kagome kneeling at his side, holding his hand. "Sango!" her friend cried.

Inuyasha flinched.

"Kagome!" Sango called, racing across the grass to Kagome and Inuyasha. "What happened?"

"Inuyasha was fighting with Naku," Kagome said. "He drove him away, but he's... he's hurt." She clutched his fingers tighter.

"Are you all right?" Sango asked. "Naku didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No, I'm fine."

Sango breathed a sigh of relief. "And... and Inuyasha..."

"I ain't dead yet," Inuyasha mumbled.

Sango winced. She could see where all the blood was from -- Inuyasha had a great gash in his torso. A human would have been dead long ago. And even a demon would be terribly injured by such a wound. It amazed Sango that he had been able to fight with it.

Shippo and Kirara padded into the clearing. "Inuyasha!" Shippo squealed, launching himself at the wounded half-demon. "You look terrible."

"Y'ain't such a prize yerself," Inuyasha muttered. But he allowed Kagome to wrap his arm around her neck, and Sango to take the other arm. Slowly the two girls hoisted him up from the ground, being careful not to accidently irritate his wound. Sweat broke out on Inuyasha's forehead, but he didn't even whimper as the two helped him walk away.

x.

He was a lot heavier than he looked, especially considering how much he had bled. Sango wondered how much demons had to lose before bleeding to death. She just hoped that Inuyasha hadn't lost so much. She had hardly ever seen him so weak -- especially if he had only been fighting.

Suddenly another dark shape darted from the shadows. Sango instantly grasped her sword, reading to hurl it if Naku had decided to return to finish them off.

"Relax," Inuyasha mumbled. "S'only Miroku."

Sango let go of her weapon. But she didn't relax until she saw Miroku's handsome features in full. The monk's expression was one of relief as he saw her -- and then shock as he saw the bloodied, half-awake half-demon draped over their shoulders. "Inuyasha, what happened?"

"I got into a Go match with Sesshomaru, and things got outta hand," Inuyasha said sarcastically.

He must be feeling better if he can be cranky, Kagome thought. She looked at Miroku pleadingly. "Miroku, we have to get Inuyasha to somewhere safe first! Then Sango and I will explain."

"I agree," Miroku said tensely. "I just saw Kagura departing with Naku. If he failed to kill Inuyasha this time, I'm sure he will be back."

TO BE CONTINUED


	28. The Bounty Chapter Twenty Eight

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

x.

Kagome flinched as she rubbed salve on Inuyasha's bare back. The wound had stopped bleeding, but there was still a vicious gash on his stomach and back. To make it worse, the fight had torn him further, as well as getting dirt and leaves all over him. She had had to carefully wipe away all the blood and dirt before even trying to bandage him up.

He kept tensing up as she started bandaging his abdomen. But he didn't make a sound. In fact, he had hardly spoken since they had reached the campsite. "I'm almost done, Inuyasha," Kagome said quietly.

He sighed.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said quietly, putting a hand on his arm. "Thank you so much..."

"Huh?" Inuyasha finally looked back over his shoulder. "What for?"

"For coming to save me." Kagome felt a little tug at her heart as she saw all the injuries he had gotten from Naku. His face and arms were covered in cuts and scratches. "Inuyasha... I'm so sorry this happened to you. If you hadn't had to come get me-"

"Hold on there," Inuyasha said sharply. "No way would I let that bastard have you for a moment more than I had to."

Kagome tried to smile. "I... I'm sorry about what happened."

"Feh. Hardly hurts at all," Inuyasha said.

Then he stiffened. Kagome's arms were wrapped around his upper chest, with her dark head resting on his bare shoulder. A tear trickled down her cheek, and seeped along one of the cuts in his skin. "I was really scared, Inuyasha," she whispered.

"Hey, no need for that," Inuyasha said a little gruffly. "I got there as fast as I could."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed, grabbing his shoulders and holding him at arm's length. "You never understand what I mean! I meant that I was scared for YOU!" A tremor came into her voice. "I was afraid you were gonna die."

Inuyasha looked startled and ill at ease. His golden eyes flickered to the side, and froze. Miroku was sitting there with his back to them. "I'm not listening to any of this," the monk announced loudly. "So just go on."

Kagome could feel herself blushing. "I-Inuyasha," she said quickly. "You better lie down so you'll heal faster."

Inuyasha reluctantly stayed still as she taped off the end of the bandages. Then he stretched out on a bed of straw, keeping Tetsusaiga close by his body. Kagome sat by him as he drifted off to sleep. As his eyes were closing, he mumbled, "I should've seen it coming, Kagome... should have smelled it in him... that bastard... ain't all human..."

Miroku crept over and peered at the sleeping half-demon. "Is he asleep?"

"Yes," Kagome said. She drew a blanket over Inuyasha, making sure he was completely covered. "Don't wake him up later. He almost died out in the woods, thanks to that stupid Naku."

"What about you, Kagome?" Miroku asked soberly. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, for the hundredth time. I feel fine." She followed Miroku outside, glancing over her shoulder. "Except... I think Naku left me alone because he said... I wasn't supposed to be harmed. But he said that he was supposed to... kill Inuyasha."

Sango stood up from a bench by the door. "If that's true, then Naku won't stay away for long. Especially if Naraku is the one who hired him."

"I'm sure of it," Miroku said grimly. "I saw Kagura flying him away. And besides, that barrier was set up around the forest to keep us out. What better way to make sure that Sango and I wouldn't interfere with the murder of Inuyasha?"

Kagome hugged herself. "So what are we going to do?"

No one answered.

TO BE CONTINUED


	29. The Bounty Chapter Twenty Nine

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

x.

"So..." Miroku mused. "You're sure that's what he said to Inuyasha?"

"Yes." Kagome wrapped her arms around herself. The night air was a little chilly, but the stars were shining and a cool breeze was rattling the dark willow leaves. The horrible events of that afternoon seemed far away, even with the wounded Inuyasha sleeping inside the hut. "He looked Inuyasha right in the eye and said, 'I am like you.'"

"Very strange," Miroku said pensively. "Did Inuyasha understand?"

"I-I think so. He looked really shocked when Naku said it. And when he was falling asleep in there, he said... 'I should have smelled it,' or something like that."

"A half demon that can't be told apart from a human?" Sango asked.

"It seems so," Miroku said, folding his arms. "If so, then Naku is even more of an enigma than we thought. And Naraku is employing him... so I doubt I'll have the chance to suck him into my wind tunnel."

Sango frowned for a moment, thinking. "Kagome... you said that Naku tried to behead Inuyasha while he was unconscious."

Kagome shivered. "Yes."

"Was he using an ordinary sword?"

"Um..." Kagome mulled the question over for a moment. Her forehead wrinkled. "Come to think of it... it was a little weird. It was... glowing green."

"Green? Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Does this mean anything, Sango?" Miroku asked, leaning forward.

"It might," Sango said slowly. "It sounds like a sea serpent fang. I've never actually seen a sword made from one, but I did once see a throwing knife carved from a broken tooth."

"That's odd," Miroku said, frowning. "I've never heard of such a thing."

"That's because they're very rare. Out of all the demon-slayers, only one had a sea serpent fang. And that was because of luck, he said." Sango thought for a moment, then sighed. "You see, the sea serpents are hard to find, and even harder to slay, because they can retreat to deep underwater caves where humans can't follow. And when they die, their bodies sink. So even if you can find one, the chances of getting a fang are slim."

"I see," Miroku said. "Then this Naku must be a powerful half-demon, if he managed to get such a sword."

"Assuming he even had to fight for it," Kagome said hesitantly.

A silence fell over the camp. A chilly wind made the fire sputter, casting odd shadows on the faces of the three humans. Sango fingered her boomerang, still thinking about the green fang-sword. "Inuyasha was actually lucky," she said quietly.

"LUCKY?" Kagome asked incredulously.

"It sounds strange. But if a sea serpent sword had struck his throat, it would have killed him immediately. He woke up just in time."

x.

"So, Naku. You failed."

The deep voice of Naraku echoed through the forest. A cold wind rustled the branches, but did not touch the white baboon pelt that hid the demon from sight. Naku smiled slightly. "When I fail, Naraku, I'll be dead. Not until then. Inuyasha may have bested me today, but I left him wounded almost to death. If that monk and demon-slayer hadn't broken through YOUR barrier, I would be delivering you his head by now."

Under the baboon snout, Naraku smiled. "You have a point."

"I did make it clear that for this particular plan to work, I would require you to keep the monk and slayer away."

"So you did. Very well. Will my assistance be called for for your next diversion."

"No. At least, not as I think of it now." Naku's face darkened as he thought of that upstart puppy, writhing in his own blood, before getting up again to fight. Little bastard whelp, without the guts or strength that Naku had gained over the years. "I will kill Inuyasha. He's weak now, and even a half-demon will take a few days to recover from such wounds. If he fights me even a few days from now, he won't have the strength to keep me from slitting his throat."

TO BE CONTINUED


	30. The Bounty Chapter Thirty

CHAPTER THIRTY

x.

Kagome came back into the hut, still feeling chilly. She let the screen fall over the doorway, and went to Inuyasha's side. Miroku and Sango were still talking softly outside, with Shippo occasionally chiming in. Kirara was dozing on one of the straw bales, mewing softly when Kagome came in.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome said softly.

But the half-demon just settled deeper in the straw, and sighed deeply.

Then Kagome saw a streak of blood on the bedding, and started. His hand, she thought. I forgot to bandage his hand, where he caught Naku's sword. She quickly gathered the gauze bandages and roll of tape. Careful not to wake Inuyasha, she took his hand and turned it over. The gash in his palm had stopped bleeding, but Kagome carefully cleaned and bandaged it.

Inuyasha slept through the whole thing, only stirring as Kagome wiped the blood from his wound. The scratches on his face, neck and arms hadn't healed yet, although Kagome knew they would be gone by sunup. If he didn't push himself, the wound in his stomach might be gone in a few days. If only Naku would stay away long enough for him to heal.

Kagome hesitated for a moment, then gently stroked Inuyasha's white hair away from his face. He stirred, and for a moment Kagome thought she had woken him. But then a faint smile crossed his face, as if he were dreaming of something pleasant. I don't remember him ever doing that before, Kagome thought.

Tentatively, she kept smoothing his hair and ears, and watching that faint smile flicker on and off his scratched face. He looked so... young, so peaceful when he slept like this. I wish I could take him through the well, so he'd be safe, Kagome thought. But he'd never run away from a fight, even when he's so badly injured. I don't think he'd agree to go.

She sighed. I'm so glad he figured out that note was a fake, she thought. I just... I couldn't control myself. It was like Naku was making my hand work all by itself. If Inuyasha had thought the note was real, I... I don't know what I would have done.

She clutched his wounded hand tighter.

"Kagome?" Sango peered inside. "How's Inuyasha?"

"He's still sleeping," Kagome said softly. "Kirara?"

The fire cat raised her head and mewed quizzically.

"Would you stay near Inuyasha and watch him while he sleeps?" Kagome asked. "I don't want Naku to have a chance to slip in." Kirara mewed again, and scampered over to Inuyasha's makeshift bed. She pawed around in the straw, and made herself a little warm nest in the hollow of his arm.

"A wise precaution." Miroku stepped inside and stretched wearily. "I think I'll sleep in front of the doorway, just to be extra safe."

"Y-you don't think Naku will attack at night, do you?" Shippo asked nervously.

"He could," Miroku said, laying out a thin blanket in front of the doorway. "But I don't think he will tonight. Though Inuyasha is at his most vulnerable now, Naku knows that we will be most on our guard tonight."

Sango grimly laid out her weapons beside her bedding, before closing her eyes. Kagome reluctantly went to sleep beside her, with a nervous, wide-awake Shippo nestled between them. Before closing her eyes, Kagome looked at the slumbering half-demon a few feet away. And she reached up to touch Inuyasha's hand for a moment. Sleep well, she thought.

Miroku stayed awake long before everyone -- except Shippo -- had fallen asleep. Then the monk flexed his cursed hand, and slowly loosened the beads. He preferred not to unleash the wind tunnel in cramped quarters, but if Naku did show up, he might have to do just that.

And what was more, Naku might be accompanied by Kagura and the venomous wasps. But Miroku didn't plan to hold back if Naku returned. When the mysterious half-demon returned... if he tried to kill Inuyasha and kidnap Kagome during the night, Miroku would suck him into oblivion, even if it meant taking in a few of those wasps.

TO BE CONTINUED


End file.
